


Wasteland Avengers pt.2

by Skelling



Category: Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:07:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 53,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26499862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skelling/pseuds/Skelling
Summary: The directionless meandering continues.
Relationships: Captain America/The Winter Soldier, Crossbones/Jack Rollins, Falcon/Reilly, Howard Stark/Maria Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Kudos: 2





	1. Minefield - 4th April 2278

Steve approached the target building crouched and slow. His deep blue uniform made him almost invisible in the night, with only the silver eagle on the shoulder and white bars on the midriff catching the weak moonlight.  
His uniform gave him confidence. The material interwoven with kevlar all over. His passive strength allowed heavier armored plates to be applied to cover his core and shoulders that would tire a normal man. Nobody could yet comment on whether the suit would save him in a protracted firefight due to its experimental nature.  
The house ahead of him was once a family home long ago, at least he'd been told. Now it was held by a gang who had taken a local townswoman captive. He paused by a wrecked car on the opposite side of the road, raising a finger to his ear.  
'Becky, I'm hearing nothing out here. No sign of movement. What can you see?'  
On the Eastern end of the small residential road, Rebecca Barnes sat perched on the roof of a hollow factory, a long rifle angled on the low wall. She had been permitted to keep her blue coat and cargo pants. The garments, augmented by a standard issue tac holster and webbing, gave her necessary storage and warmth for most situations. Her vision through the scope was all shades of green. She scanned from Rogers' position by the car to the two storey house.  
'Nobody out the back. No lights on. I think surprise is on our side' she said clearly to him.  
'All right. Move up. If we're going in, we go together'  
'On my way'  
Rebecca turned off her mic and cursed. The time she had spent crossing the ghost town and climbing this building just to go close quarters after all irked her. She swapped her weapons around, slinging the modified Springfield rifle on to her back. Once on the ground she flicked the safety off of the short MP5 and set off to Steve's position. Rebecca skirted south of the houses opposing the target building, wary of the lower light. Rounding the last corner she barreled into a lone wandering ghoul. The emaciated feral was knocked over, but got up quickly, baring rotten teeth.  
'Aw hell' she cursed.  
Her mind raced. The muzzle flash could alert the denizens in the house. Had to silence the feral before it's rasping howl got too loud. The MP5 fell, pulling the shoulder strap taunt. With both hands she seized the skeletal head and held it shut. Rebecca's stomach fell as she could feel loose skin tearing under her fingers. She lunged forward, bringing the ghoul head first down on to bare concrete.  
Rogers watched her wipe rancid blood, bone fragments, and brain matter on her pant legs as she crossed the street to him.  
'Trouble?' he whispered.  
'Ghoul. Didn't know they strayed this far from the dump site'  
'It's something we can tell em later. You ready to do this?'  
'Ready. Wait, first'  
She leaned over, grabbing him on the shoulder and kissing him hard.  
'Now I'm ready' she smiled, 'You take front, I'll go back'  
He nodded. As one they moved up the small garden path, splitting off at the door. Barnes separated the night vision scope and used it to navigate the narrow alley to the back of the house in silence.  
'Rogers, I'm ready at the back. On 3'  
She counted them in. Rebecca put a hand on the door. Locked. A quick strike from the butt of her MP5 broke the window, giving her access at the cost of noise. A muffled bang from the front of the building signified Steve's entry was also resisted.  
'Hold tight. Let's see if anyone heard us' Rogers whispered through his mic.  
She crouched in the back kitchen, slowing her breaths and listening for any sounds. The silence and calm helped clear her mind and focus.  
'We are ghosts. Move up' she called.  
Next to the kitchen Rebecca found a single figure lying asleep in an armchair through her scope. She was on him before he could make a sound, a knife at his throat.  
'The girl, where is she?' she hissed.  
The raider flinched as he woke, staring into the darkness with wide eyes.  
'Upstairs...please-'  
The blade was run across him, silencing the man.  
Steve found her in the hallway, having cleared the front room of two unsuspecting hostiles. She gestured upwards to him, then lead up to the first floor with the scope remounted to her MP5. The landing area gave them two doors on the left and one on the right. Light glowing from under the far left raised concern.  
'That one first'  
She crouched beside the door. Steve stood opposite, then kicked it open. He whirled around immediately to the opposite door. Despite the light, the bedroom was empty. Steve caught two raiders, dropping them both in short order. Reuniting, the pair prepared to take the last room, which was now illuminated from within. Rogers took no time breaching. Inside they found the woman they presumed to be the hostage. The last kidnapper held a gun to her head, his own covered by a rusted helmet. Steve put two fingers behind his back, hoping Rebecca saw it. After the silent count he dropped to his knees, giving her a clear line. The dim light from the lantern wasn't strong enough to disrupt her vision through the scope. She took the shot. The woman screamed.  
The kidnapper took off his helmet and looked at it. The blue splat of paint was square in the centre of the forehead. He smiled, looking at Steve and Rebecca.  
'Excellent work you two' Coulson said, throwing it down.  
The woman removed her shimmer mask.  
'Was I a good helpless damsel?' Natalya laughed.  
'Yeah, had us fooled' Steve remarked.  
The three 'raiders' from the other rooms joined the four of them. The one dispatched by Rebecca in the sitting room was Barton. A device on his wrist lit up as he spoke.  
'Can't believe these things didn't pick up your entry through the back. I coulda heard that glass break from Rivet City'  
'We're not all blessed with bat ears Clint' Natalya shot back.  
Each of the acting raiders had noise detectors that would trigger if they heard loud enough disturbances to wake someone.  
'Yo, gotta apologise for the guy acting as a ghoul outside. Got a little handsy and splattered his brain' Rebecca mockingly confessed.  
'You killed a ghoul?' Coulson clarified.  
'Yeah, a little interloper in your training exercise. Paint bullets and rubber knives wouldn't do the trick so I got creative'  
'Well we'll give you bonus points for a kill on a practice mission. Pretty sure that's a first for us Sergeant Barnes'  
Coulson gave the acting raiders ten minutes to change back into their SWORD uniforms and prepare to return to the scrapyard. Steve and Rebecca took the time to chill outside the house together. They sat on the roof of the car used as cover before the exercise. For the first few minutes they exchanged no words, just held hands and gazed at the clearing blades of cloud around the moon.  
'Places like this make me uncomfortable' Rebecca said after a sigh.  
'Ghost towns?'  
'Yeah. You see all these buildings. Still standing, no damage other than environmental wear. Something stops people settling down and living here'  
Neither of them heard Natalya exit the house and approach the car.  
'They say this place used to be a playground for some psycho sniper' she said, before lighting a cigarette.  
The glow from her engraved zippo bathed her face in soft orange light.  
'Oh yeah?' Rebecca said, turning to her.  
'Yup. Folks say he lived here once, when it was called Ridgefield, with two dozen others. One night, slavers came and took anyone they didn't kill. Last one left was just a kid and he snaps. Litters the town with AP mines, spreads word that the town is flourishing, gets a sweet spot up on the factory, and guns down the slavers when they return'  
'Sounds like sweet revenge' Rebecca replied.  
'It was a broken mind. He cleared the bodies, made the town look like new, then waited. Continued to kill everyone that set foot here. Traders, gangers, refugees. This place was a black hole'  
Barton, Coulson, and the SWORD agents stepped out as she explained.  
'What happened to him?' Steve asked.  
Natalya took a long drag of the cigarette and flicked the stub at Clint's feet.  
'He did'  
'You killed the Minefield sniper?'  
'Oh Arkansas? Yeah, about two years back. We thought he was an old trader's tale until a recon team hit their emergency transponder right where we're standing. I got here too late for them, and an arrow in the bastard's eye through his scope was scant consolation'  
'Sometimes the best we can do is avenge the fallen' Rebecca mused.  
Her words brought quiet nods from all the SWORD members present, followed by pensive silence. Coulson broke the silence when his reciever buzzed in his pocket.  
'This is Coulson. Yes director. They did. He was. Okay. I'll send them ASAP'  
Rogers and Barnes looked at him as the agent very casually switched off the comms device and put it back in his suit jacket. Coulson cleared his throat before addressing them.  
'Director Fury has given the green light for a special undertaking for you Captain Rogers. Barnes, we need him to get there alive so you're running point'  
'What's the mission?' they asked, almost in unison.  
'A SWORD founder and tech consultant has something game changing, and wants you to test it. Get to the old National Guard Armory in Tenleytown'  
'Now?' Rebecca inquired.  
'At your own discretion. Go now, or get some shut eye at base and go in the morning'  
Steve quickly glanced at Rebecca. She snapped the NV scope back on to her Springfield and shrugged.  
'I still got a buzz from the op. I'm good if you are Steve'  
Rogers looked back at Coulson and nodded.  
'Alright then. Report in once you arrive. Also I'd recommend the east road. You encounter any critters, Canterbury is your safe harbour'  
'Thanks Coulson. Safe travels'  
The groups parted ways, the SWORD operatives going west to skirt the southern hills that separated Minefield and the Scrapyard. Rogers and Barnes passed the empty factory. She looked at it differently since learning of its history.  
After an hour of following the straight road through ashen grasslands, light began to creep over the horizon in the east. Steve saw the white glow, double checking his Pipboy to ensure the dawn hadn't crept up on them.  
'2am. Must be Canterbury' he observed.  
'Thank God. I may have been exaggerating about my energy earlier'  
'Ha. Me too. I know nothing about Canterbury but it must have somewhere to sleep'  
The raised highway stood silhouetted against the column of light from the high street, splitting it in two.  
'You don't remember that thrilling lecture Sitwell gave us about Wasteland orientation?' Barnes said, nudging him.  
'I think I switched off after hearing what I already knew about Megaton'  
'You jackass. Canterbury is the hub for trading caravans all across the Capital. Town itself is just one high street. Population fifty odd at last estimates'  
'Well they should definitely have a hotel'  
*  
It was midday when the pair finally reached the armory at the northern limits of urban DC. Rogers came to a forgotten realisation as they meandered through the assorted wrecks littering the parking lot.  
'So we don't know who we're here to meet, where exactly he's gonna be, or what he's even going to give us'  
Rebecca snorted and laughed.  
'Was I too tired to even ask for the slightest detail on our assignment before agreeing to it? Yes. Come on, let's root around inside'  
She switched back to her MP5 for the tight corridors she expected. Steve flicked the safety off of his M4 carbine and lead the way. Behind the concrete exterior, the five storey structure was hollow. Layers of stacked roof panels and flooring seemed to funnel them down into a small maintenance room in the basement. It drew Rebecca's attention as it was anomalously clean and free of dust like the rest of the building.  
'He's nearby, whoever he is' she said aloud.  
'I have a name you know' a voice addressed them through an unseen speaker.  
'Well SWORD didn't tell us it. Just that you have something for us'  
'Ah you must be Sergeant Barnes and Captain America'  
'Its Rogers, but yeah'  
'Excellent. Pull the lever behind the green book on the top right shelf. Come say hello'  
The brightly lit steel corridor opened up to them, a reveal that made Rebecca laugh.  
'Something funny?'  
'I swear to whatever that we've spent more time underground than anywhere else since leaving 101. This is getting ridiculous'  
The white haired contact stood at the door to his lab ahead of them, beckoning them in.  
'Finally. A pleasure to meet you both. Take a seat. Fury may always be in a hurry but I'm not. Not right now anyway'  
'Okay...who are you?' Rogers asked, sitting on a stool by a workbench.  
'Damn, sorry. I'm Howard Stark'  
The pair went wide eyed at his name, hesitating before shaking his offered hand.  
'You're Tony's-'  
'Tony is my son, yes' he snapped, interrupting Rebecca.  
She mouthed an exaggerated 'okay' at Steve as Howard continued.  
'So I hear you've both joined the ranks of SWORD? It's a good organisation, just needs a little more power behind it'  
'Is that why you stepped down Mr Stark?' Steve asked.  
'I stepped back from my role as joint director to focus on other projects. Giving that firebrand Fury free reign was a step in the right direction for SWORD too'  
'He has some pretty outlandish ideas'  
'Damn right son. You're one of them'  
'I am?'  
'Yes, that's why you're here. You've seen his super spy, the hot one with the red hair? And the Archer. You're the third musketeer Captain'  
Howard pulled a flat canvas bag from under a countertop and handed it to Steve. Unzipping it, Rogers pulled out the metre-wide round convex metal disc. The inside had two thick leather straps, the outside adorned with concentric red, blue, and white rings with a white star in the centre.  
'It's a shield?' Steve stated.  
It felt light for its size. He slipped his left arm through the first strap and gripped the second.  
'It is' Stark clarified, 'But unlike any other. You ever heard of Saturnite son?'  
'No'  
'Yes' Rebecca cut in, forward on her stool, 'It's just a myth? Invincible metal that fell from space?'  
'It is from space Sergeant, but not a myth. You're looking at it'  
'No way' she gasped in disbelief.  
'You say it's from space?' said Rogers.  
'Story goes that a meteor made entirely of the stuff fell millions of years ago, smack dab in the heart of Africa. A splinter must have broke off because I found a hunk of it in a mine shaft thirty years back. Anyone else woulda thought it was just part of a vein of iron but there you have it. A legend come to life'  
'So you dig up an ultra rare metal and make it into a frisbee?'  
'Not exactly how it went Sergeant Barnes. I had the raw chunk of it here in my lab up until about four months ago'  
'What changed?'  
'You, Captain Rogers. I saw the drone footage from Bannister. Heard the after action reports from Reilly herself. It was a group effort Sergeant, you all have my equal gratitude for saving my son. But I saw you Steve, swinging that door around like nobody's business. In the heat of the fight you kept yourself and James Rhodes alive. It gave me the idea for a defensive implement. Now you've joined SWORD, I'm happy for you to have it'  
Steve gazed upon the shield with the wonder that the unique object commanded.  
'So it's bulletproof?'  
'Its everything proof Captain. Not only that, but it absorbs kinetic energy thrown at it. Give it, give it here a sec'  
Stark walked to the far side of the lab with the shield, crouching so it covered his head and torso.  
'Miss Barnes, if you would? I hear you're quite the markswoman'  
'Are you crazy? I'm not going to shoot you'  
'Go on. I insist. Aim for the star'  
'Gah, fine. Your funeral'  
She wrapped the strap of her Springfield around her arm and crouched. Despite the metre wide target only ten metres away, she still took her time to aim down the scope. The silenced rifle let off a loud snap, followed by a ping. The pinging noise was the flattened 30.03 round hitting the metal floor at Stark's feet.  
'What in the world?' Barnes gasped.  
Steve's mouth fell open, turning to a wide smile.  
'What did I tell you? I've hit it with 556s, 308s, 50 Cal. Hell, found a kid up in Canterbury and paid him to blast it with a 14.5mm. didn't even ding it'  
'That's unreal. One question'  
'Go ahead Captain'  
'Why the star?'  
'That...that was Fury's input. You can trace it back to my wayward son. The whole 'Captain America' thing? He started it, and Fury liked it. Yadda yadda. The shield had stars and bars. Congrats kid, you're a superhero now I guess'


	2. Rivet City Market - 11th April 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Rhodes pull off a heist

Pepper found the familiar face waiting outside the store at 8.30 that morning. He stood in his blue air force formal dress with a large duffel bag at his side. The weeks of having to hold a business together by herself finally got to her.  
'Rhodey!'  
Pepper dropped the jumbled paperwork, letting it scatter over the market floor. The clang of her heels echoed through the empty hall as she skipped towards her friend. Their embrace was long. Long enough for Pepper to wipe the few years on her arm before James noticed. She couldn't hide the relief in her voice, tripping over the first few words.  
'James, you're back? I thought you said it was six months?'  
'It was Pep. Yesterday the general gave me a choice. Serve out my sentence and reenlist as a private, or leave Germantown forever'  
She pulled away, aghast.  
'You're banished? Oh God that's awful! Come inside there's a lot we need to catch up on. Hang on, I'll grab us some coffees'  
Potts crossed the market to Gary's Galley. The open plan diner was the only business open early in the day, used mostly as a breakfast joint for the market traders. James had gathered the dropped papers, having been completely forgotten about by Pepper. He placed them under her arm when she returned with two steaming cups. The addition of the cushioned armchairs and table on the mezzanine floor came as a surprise to Rhodes.  
'Cosy set up. Stark's idea?'  
'No. Mine. I didn't like the dead space up here and made a comfortable space to negotiate. Had to do a lot of that lately'  
'Oh yeah?'  
'Come on, let's take a seat'  
The pair ascended to the first floor. Rhodes put his heavy bag down beside his seat.  
'You lugged that all the way here from Germantown? Sounded like it weighs a ton'  
'I caught a ride with some travellers headed to Alexandria. Had some space in their cart for my stuff. Still a heck of a way'  
'That was kind of them'  
'It was. Kind of leads on from why I chose to leave'  
He blew on the hot drink and took a probing sip. The satisfied sigh came after months of the awful brew given to him at Germantown.  
'Damn I have missed Gary's coffee. Hmm yeah, so I had a few opportunities to talk to Schwartz while I was incarcerated. I've been thinking for a while that they could really make a difference and help people beyond our walls'  
'Well jeez, you definitely have the firepower and numbers for it'  
'Exactly. He said no obviously. Too stuck in the old ways. It made me rethink my place in all this'  
'What is it Rhodey?'  
'Don't know but it sure ain't there. Could be with the Rangers? They didn't have to help us free Stark but they did. How is that troublemaker anyway?'  
Pepper caused concern with her muted response.  
'He's uh…'  
'Pepper? Where is he?'  
'Tony is in the Bow. He's been down eighteen hours a day for a month'  
'You got big orders or something'  
'The complete opposite. He discovered that an order was placed by a slaver out of Paradise Falls. Nearly got killed by the guy when he came to collect'  
'He turned down a customer?'  
'What happened at Bannister changed him. We don't sell guns to walk ins, only vetted orgs like Tenpenny security, Olney, Craterside'  
'So why is he spending so much time in the bow?'  
'I think it will be better for you to go see for yourself. Leave your stuff here. I'll call Vera Wetherly and set you up with a hotel room'  
*  
James pulled his cold weather jacket from his hold all before heading to the bow bridge. Stark never bothered to install a heating system, as he only ventured there to collect weapons shipments that JARVIS creates remotely. The layer was pulled close when he got outside. The chill wind was funneled between the twisted walls of the two halves of broken ship. Once through the second strong door, he felt an unexpected warmth. Rhodes heard the voice of JARVIS emanating from the forge hall at the end of the corridor.  
'Mr Stark, I have detected an arrival from the city. An old friend has returned'  
James was lost for words when he stepped into the workshop. Gone were the makeshift emergency lighting fixtures, replaced by fluorescent strips. He'd never seen the whole room lit up. The five fabricators lined up looked cleaner and rust free since his last foray here. It was the contraption at the opposite side of the room that caught his attention. Stark emerged on a flat trolley from beneath a wide circular plinth two feet high. He threw down the acetylene torch and discarded the welding mask. Stark took a moment to take in the sight of his best friend. Rhodes did the same. He looked a considerable amount better than their last time together. Tony was weakened by his ordeal when they parted ways at jury street. Now he seemed in better shape than ever. It was chalked down to the various weights and exercise implements in the corner of the hangar. The blue glow of the arc reactor shone through his black vest.  
'James…'  
Rhodes raised both hands and bowed.  
'The one and only. How have you been buddy?'  
Tony surprised his friend by hugging him. Rhodes was unsure if he had ever received such a gesture from the man.  
'I'm uh. Well, what has Pepper told you? I'm guessing you found her first'  
'I did. She has some concerns about you doing... whatever this is. What are you doing?'  
Stark pointed innocently at the mechanical plinth.  
'Oh this? Yeah I am getting a little ahead of myself with this prehensile assembly station'  
'This what?'  
'Ah sorry. As I said I need to roll clocks back a little. Come over here and it will make more sense. Or less. Probably less'  
Rhodes was urged over to a workbench where every tool and component imaginable was strewn around a skeletal silver gauntlet. The palm was home to a shallow transparent half dome. Stark put the device on his right hand, and affixed the trailing wires to newly installed connectors on the arc reactor.  
'What am I looking at Mike?'  
'You recall the mind-blowing spectacle of that suit I made at Bannister?'  
'How could I forget?'  
'I only had time to have the reactor power the suit's physical movements. All well and good. The rocket propulsion and offensive armaments all added extra weight through fuel and ammunition'  
'So?'  
'What if I could make the arc reactor power all three?'  
'You're making another suit?'  
'Damn right I am. You saw...well you didn't see, but you can envision what something as primitive as that hulking piece of junk did to Jabsco's boys? This could be the cornerstone of Iron Man mk II'  
'Iron Man?'  
'It's what I called it. I know there was very little of the metal in the suit but it had a good ring to it'  
Stark flexed the nimble metal around his fingers, then called to his AI.  
'JARVIS, buddy, give me… two percent'  
'Are you sure Sir?'  
'Totally. On my mark. Rhodey, you can help me here'  
'Sure. I guess'  
He noticed they were facing a large wall of cinder blocks, five high and three deep, against the metal hangar walls. Several pieces of paper, half burnt, were hanging near scattered craters and scorch marks.  
'Alright. One percent knocked me off my feet so brace yourself and me'  
Rhodes stepped over the wires and put a tentative hand on Stark's back.  
'Don't be a baby. I said brace me James'  
He complied, placing his feet apart and both hands on Tony's shoulder and lower back.  
'Alright. Let's hit it. JARVIS!'  
Stark tensed his outstretched arm tight, fingers pointed outward. A loud hum segued to a high pitched beep in half a second. A white glow travelled from the arc to the gauntlet in the same time. The bright flash leapt from Stark's hand, casting him back into Rhodes. A shower of grey brick fragments and dust filled the room around the two of them, making James cough.  
'Jackpot!' Stark yelled, pumping his gloved fist, 'Look at that Rhodey! Tell me any weapon this small that could do that much damage in one shot!'  
As James dusted himself off, Tony removed the glove and disconnected it from the reactor on his chest. The two of them inspected the impact damage. A half inch hole was punched cleanly through the first two layers of blocks.  
'Well...shit Mike. It's like you've shrunk an RPG down to less than a handgun. Is this your new business venture? Pint sized superweapons?'  
Tony sat down at the work bench and sighed, idly holding the gauntlet up right in his hand.  
'Call this a personal project. It's why the wonderful Ms Potts is holding the fort. This suit of armor? All for me'  
'What could you want with this? You wasted Jabsco and his army. You got your revenge. Why carry on?'  
Tony chuckled and got to his feet.  
'There we go. Here's the Rhodey I remember. You're the guy that keeps me in check'  
'I'm your friend Tony. I risked my life and livelihood to save you once. I get the feeling I'll have to do it again if you keep this up'  
'I think we need refreshment for this kind of discussion. Dum-E?' he called.  
A small, tracked robot with a singular telescopic grabber rolled over to them. The arm holding the claw also contained a visual sensor, which gazed at Stark expectantly.  
'Fix us two martinis would you?'  
Dum-E nodded and beeped, then rolled over to the fully stocked bar at the far end of the hangar. Rhodes only just noticed it, having been distracted by everything else in Stark's work space.  
'Potts said you've been different since you blasted your way out of Bannister. I see this bit has survived'  
'I'm always gonna love the morning Martini Rhodey. Come on, get comfortable'  
James pulled a spare chair and sat facing Tony when the robot returned with a tray holding the drinks.  
'So come on. A superpowered armor suit that you and you alone are gonna use. You've never even fired any of the stuff you make and sell. Why now?'  
'I may have been delirious and struggling to stand when you, Sergeant Barnes and Captain America got me back to that tool shop in Jury Street, but I remember so damn well. To be handed the very weapon that killed those two young men and be told that I made and sold it? At that moment I was all for shutting the gun presses down forever. It's only that I also happened to arm my saviours that keeps it going, plus keeps Pepper in a job. Then Telford comes in the first day I feel ready to go back to work'  
'Telford?'  
'Carver. Looks like your average wastelander. Turns out he was a slaver. How many disguised bastards have I armed over the years? How much misery and death has been sewn with my name on it? It's time to clean the slate. Got JARVIS running tabs on as many customers as we can and find out who they really are. Once this suit's done I'm gonna go break some toys'  
Rhodey took a moment to take in everything he just heard, then finished the Martini in one gulp.  
'I'm definitely gonna die saving your ass Tony. No question. You have armed hundreds if not thousands over the years, now you want to declare war on them?'  
'For lack of a better answer...yes'  
Tony finished his drink. Simply snapping his fingers and pointing at Dum-E had the robot trundling off to make refills.  
'Oh, I think JARVIS should be done with the projections. Buddy? Let's see the Mk II'  
'Certainly Sir'  
The clockwork sphere flickered into existence in the middle of the room. From it, a three dimensional render of the new suit appeared. The new Iron Man armor was an original concept, not based on an existing power armor frame, making it sleeker and lighter. Tony stood within the projected image, with it's movements lining up with his.  
'I can't begin work on a full scale model until JARVIS finds the answer to a conundrum that's scuppering all our virtual simulations. Tell us again pal?' Tony asked.  
'Of course sir. With the current energy output and expenditure through suit use, you drain the arc reactor to dangerous levels in twenty minutes. The best way to offset this issue would be a total material replacement'  
'Exactly' Stark nodded, 'I've had him run virtual trials of every known metal combination to find the best material for strength, durability and lightness. What's the latest JARVIS?'  
'I've devised an alloy composed of titanium and gold sir, but have very little of the latter to work with in the bow's reserves'  
'Hmm. Where are we most likely to find a lot of refinable gold in DC' he wondered aloud.  
James snapped his fingers.  
'State Department'  
'What?'  
'It could be a myth, but nothing makes sense any more so it's worth a shot. There's a tale amongst traders of a massive secure vault under the State Department building on the national Mall. Bring your little fancy glove and I bet we could crack it'  
'We?' Stark parroted, a devilish grin spreading across his face.  
'Yes Tony. I gave up trying to talk you down from outlandish schemes a while ago. If you can't beat them, join them. When do you want to head into the city?'  
*  
Stark, Rhodes, and Potts met at the city side shore bridge at sunrise the next morning. A protracted effort by both of his friends convinced Tony to get a decent night's rest before the day's undertaking. He even agreed not to drink in preparation for his first journey out of the city since his rescue. What Pepper couldn't do was stop him putting on a four piece suit. Her protestations were brief before they left her apartment, only subsiding when Stark showed her the reforged body armor we wore underneath.  
'Look, I know I had one of these on in Jury Street but I doubt anyone's gonna be taking pot shots at me with RPGs this time around' he explained.  
Rhodes felt a mixture of pride and sorrow in his combat uniform. It was the strongest reminder of the home he always knew and could never return to. The pride came from a new found meaning to the battle dress and body armor. He would actually face combat and bring change to the world around him instead of simply defending a fortification for the sake of tradition.  
The roads of DC were known as well to Rhodes as Stark. Sometimes his journeys to and from Rivet would have to take detours as the running battles between raiders, super mutants, and Talon Company.  
On the bridge, Rhodes brought his emptied bag, ready to fill with whatever they find at the State Department building. Stark turned down the offer of a firearm from James, confident that the pair of metal gloves would be enough.  
'I finished a second one yesterday, got them both covered in the same carbon titanium as my chest'  
His novel weapons were heavy and uncomfortable to wear, being only alpha level prototypes. At Pepper and James's insistence, he agreed to keep them on for the duration of their journey. Before putting them on, Potts embraced Stark. She had an invasive worry that she would never see Tony again, a worry she kept to herself.  
Stark and Rhodes followed the river east after crossing the bridge. Their route took them across the Jefferson Memorial island, home to the marble dome tribute to the founding father. The scarred white building had fared far better than the metal constructions of the city to the east. Rhodes mentioned what he had observed on the way to Rivet the previous day.  
'There were lights on inside the memorial Mike. Do you think they've started the project up again?'  
'Purity? Damn that's going back a heck of a way. Thomas Rumlow…now that guy had some vision'  
'What happened to him?'  
'Its going on twenty three years now since the project was abandoned following Lizzy Rumlow's death. He just fell off the face of the earth. Of course I was just a kid getting in my dad's way in his lab at the time. From what I recall, Pop and Rumlow were friends in the DC science community'  
James nodded, gazing at the robust marble building. He noticed that Stark had stopped.  
'What's the matter?'  
'Curiosity. Let's go see who turned the lights back on'  
Rhodes obliged, but flicked the safety off of his SCAR-H rifle.  
*  
Once past the Lincoln Memorial, Stark finally expressed something resembling caution. He pulled a pair of square-framed tinted shades from inside his jacket. A tap on a fingerprint sensitive button activated the AI integration. The voice of JARVIS sounded in Tony's ears, with a display lighting up in the lenses.  
'Mr Stark, I am commencing a full scan for hostiles in the area. Please give me a moment'  
An overlay grid outlined rooftops and streets of the National Mall, looking for any potential threats. For the time being, there were none.  
'We appear to be alone for now. I cannot account for any mutants or raiders in concealment'  
'Then we'll have to deal with them as they come'  
The State Department building was just off the north side of the mall. Stark and Rhodes skirted the ruins along from the Lincoln Memorial, noticing the rows of empty trenches and bunkers littering the square parkland leading to the giant spire in the east. Similar to the Jefferson, the State Department's older, solid construction left it mostly intact. To Stark, this posed a problem.  
'Rhodey, if you were a piece of shit raider looking for a stronghold in this part of town, that looks like the exact kind of place you'd go for, right?'  
'Sure does'  
Closer, they saw the first signs of inhabitation at the concrete monolith. The road to the entrance was littered with iron stakes, scrap barricades, and bodies.  
'Place your bets Mike. Raiders or Mutants? Both got a penchant for stringing up corpses'  
He turned back to see Stark had frozen.  
'You alright?'  
Tony shook his head and caught up.  
'Yeah...just don't usually see this kind of savagery in my line of work'  
As the words escaped his mouth, Stark couldn't help but think of what Reilly would say to him in response. The way she chewed him out at Jury Street hadn't left his mind. Your line of work facilitates this kind of savagery Stark. Yeah, that would be it, he thought.  
'JARVIS, can you give me the rundown on the place?'  
'Certainly Sir. I'm scanning locally held files now. It appears some networked systems within the building are still active'  
The two men crouched behind a low wall close to the target. Unlike his previous forays, Stark actually made an effort to stay concealed. James looked over, finally getting eyes on who held the structure.  
'Muties. I count five outside. Two have guns'  
'What guns? Wait, I'll check'  
Tony took off his glasses and held them over their cover. JARVIS identified the make and model using the small camera on the rim of the spectacles.  
'One FN MAG general purpose machine gun and one Browning M2 heavy MG sir'  
'Damn that's a lot of lead in the air if they get a chance' Rhodes cursed.  
Stark's concerns were different.  
'Are they models I built?'  
'I cannot tell from here sir'  
'Well let's get closer and ask them'  
'Stark wait! What the fuck?'  
Tony got up and tapped a small button on his glasses. The blue overlays became red and minimalised, showing only the power output from the arc reactor.  
'J, prioritise firearms, lets light up these uglies. Give me half percent power in each, solid beam'  
The mutants hadn't yet noticed the lone man approach them with silver hands raised. The lenses highlighted the key threats ahead. Target data from the gauntlets helped him line up shots. The eight foot tall yellow skinned monsters saw him too late. A blast struck each held firearm, destroying them along with the carriers' hands.  
'Puny human! Gonna smash you good!'  
The trio charged him, massive blunt or bladed weapons in their hands. One was cut down before Stark could realign his gloves. Rhodes appeared by his side. They took down the last two together, Stark blowing the Mutant's helmed head clean off with a double shot.  
Rhodes put a hand on Stark's shoulder as quiet fell again.  
'Hold up. We've rattled their cage. If more are coming from inside we can catch them at a bottleneck at the door'  
Tony's heart was pounding. The battle resurfaced the fear from his escape at Bannister. This time, it was all on his terms. He was fighting to achieve a goal, not for his life. The realisation that he could bug out and return to Rivet if the situation got too hot was a comfort. Slow controlled breaths helped settle his racing pulse.  
'Whoever is inside is preoccupied, let's move on up' Rhodes said.  
'If I may interject, gentlemen?'  
'Go ahead JARVIS'  
'I believe I have located the strongroom holding the fabled bullion'  
'Great, give us the quickest route'  
'Certainly sir'  
Stark calculated that they had no need to enter the building through the main entrance. Instead, they skirted the boxy concrete structure until a single exterior wall stood between them and a stairwell. Rhodey got behind Stark and prepared to brace him for another high powered shot.  
'J, give us a four percent, hit it!'  
'Stark No!'  
They were both cast from their feet as the wall erupted. Despite giving a greater distance to their target, a shower of masonry rained down on them. This move did attract attention.  
'Found you!' came a deranged roar from the cloud obscured hole.  
Rhodes pushed Stark off of him and jammed the butt of his rifle to his shoulder. The pair of hulking monsters were peppered with bullets, collapsing at the breached wall.  
'Why am I so completely unsurprised at you nearly killing us twice Tony?'  
Stark only raised his hands in feigned surprise at the gauntlets' power, then brushed himself off and got up.  
Traversing the corpses left a mess of red ichor on Tony's already scuffed and tattered suit, not that it bothered him. He revealed a new ability of his creation when they descended into the darkness.  
'JARVIS, let it glow buddy'  
The stairwell was flooded with light from both of Stark's hands. He took the lead. The AI put a holographic arrow on his HUD, guiding him to the strongroom. The fabled gold lay behind a square vault door five feet wide and six tall. The sight of it disheartened James.  
'I gotta say right now, there's no way I'm gonna let you fire your hand cannons in an underground tunnel. Don't even think about it'  
'I wasn't going to. You left me all of yesterday to work out solutions to everything. Check this out'  
He approached the heavy door and held his right hand flat against it, bracing his arm with his left.  
'J, half percent, low range, tight aperture'  
The energy caster on his palm released a tight jet of concentrated output from the arc, like a blowtorch. After a few seconds he removed his hand.  
'Huh...burned right through'  
James Rhodes watched, awestruck, as Tony spent the next half hour carving access to the vault. By the end of it, he had lost feeling in his right hand. Before even checking the contents of the strongroom, he took both gauntlets off and sat down.  
'Go on Rhodey, see if I gave myself probably permanent nerve damage for nothing' he gasped.  
James flicked on the torch mounted under the barrel of his gun. Stepping through the gap in the eight inch solid steel, he laughed. Outside, Tony put a palm to his head, assuming their journey was for nothing.  
'Mike, get in here. There's more gold than even you could know what to do with'


	3. Raven Rock - 30th April 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brooke has a simple mission, but the Capital Wasteland has other ideas

Brooke expected the worst following Steve's disappearance from Megaton. The day after her encounter at Halcyons hosted a heated communication between Rollins and Chase. She sat on her hands in the trashed apartment, eager not to fidget or interrupt her commanding officer.  
'Come in Romeo two, this is Alpha team CO. Requesting comms with the Colonel. Over'  
'Stand by Rollins' came the operators reply.  
'This is Chase. Tell me you have good news'  
'Good and less good Colonel'  
'What is less good?'  
'We lost contact with the mark sir. Rogers skipped town. No sign of his heading. Nobody here knows shit'  
'That is disappointing. I doubt the good news will make up for your failure'  
Hearing that word made Brooke wince. She shuffled uncomfortably on the torn sofa.  
'We can confirm that Rogers is enhanced. He took out five bandits without breaking a sweat'  
There was a tense silence that followed. Chase sighed.  
'What good is confirming our suspicions if our target is in the wind. The secret to perfecting the super soldier serum is out of our reach again'  
She couldn't hold herself back any more. Brooke pushed Rollins aside and seized the microphone.  
'Sir, apologies for the interruption, but the key isn't Rogers, it's my father'  
'I don't appreciate the intrusion Specialist Rumlow. Do you know where your father is?'  
'Well no, but-'  
'Then it is of no use to us. The two of you will return to Bravo 7D to await further orders. There's still plenty to be done before we can restore America to glory'  
*  
Raven Rock hadn't opened it's surface level entrance in two hundred years. The gigantic hangar sized doors were built to survive direct hits from multiple thermonuclear weapons and protect the sheltering upper echelons of government within. The reality, in 2077, was that the global nuclear holocaust happened so abruptly that not a single executive from Washington DC made it to the bunker in time. It was in 2242, when the Enclave fled the destruction of their base of operations on the west coast, that the underground base found use again. An aerial armada of Vertibirds, Chinooks, and Super Stallions limped across the continental United States. Many were lost before the circular topside bay doors of Raven Rock opened to greet them. They were welcomed within by the bones of the long dead base staff.  
Thirty six years later, Brooke Rumlow stood alone at the gate. Her breath was laboured, her wounded right arm hanging by her side. Despite her state, her eyes still held a steel determination that had brought her all this way alone. She winced at the pain one last time, gritted her teeth, then looked at the security camera at the top right corner of the door.  
'This is Specialist Brooke Omera Rumlow. Alpha group of Squad Sigma. I know you can hear me. I have vital Intel for Colonel Augustus Chase!'  
The exertion took its toll. She fell to her knees. Putting her hand out to steady herself sent pain lancing through her body. Her arms crumbled. Brooke collapsed to the floor. Before she passed out, she heard the sound of machinery moving deep within the doors.  
*  
The first thing she noticed on coming around were the pure white lights that stung her eyes. She felt relief. She could only be in the Raven Rock medical wing. Her right arm was wrapped in bandages and held across her chest in a sling. Her left wrist was cuffed to the bed. Jack Rollins sat in a straight back chair at her side. He looked up from his book when she stirred.  
'What the hell are you trying to pull Rumlow? Edith and Andrew found me knocked out in that dead blonde's apartment in Megaton and you were gone'  
'Yeah sorry Jack. That was me'  
'What?'  
'I laid you low and went to find my father alone. I succeeded'  
'Why couldn't you do it with us?'  
'You were a liability Jack. You had qualms about executing that Jocelyn woman when she could have exposed us'  
Rollins didn't respond.  
'Let me guess, the fact that I came all the way back to power station to find it empty means you abandoned it? The fuck happened? The Enclave suddenly lost it's balls?'  
Brooke's admonishing was cut off by a voice filling the room from a speaker.  
'That's enough, Specialist'  
'Colonel? Colonel have you been listening? I have found my father'  
The door to the recovery room opened. The small figure of Arnold Zola entered. He pointed at Rollins, the at the door. The squad leader nodded and left. Before taking the seat, the doctor produced a small key and unlocked the steel cuff on Brooke's wrist.  
'Thanks. I understand your apprehension about me reappearing out of the blue'  
'After your disappearance zhere was great cause for concern. It was such fear of exposure that had us discontinue ze covert blacksite Bravo Seven Delta. We believed you would defect'  
'No chance. I would never betray my country'  
'Good. Are you comfortable, Miss Rumlow?'  
'Yeah doc, why?'  
The small suited man took off his spectacles and wiped them with a cloth.  
'There may be some revelations to follow that may be...upsetting'  
'Well then get it over with Zola. We have work to do'  
'I am...a former associate of your father, Thomas'  
Her eyes narrowed.  
'You're from 101 too?'  
'Negative. It is as I expected, he never told you. Your father is also not from that Vault'  
'The fuck are you talking about?'  
'Thomas Rumlow is, or was, one of our brightest minds. His work in maintaining and upgrading the life support systems down here were key to our survival. He also worked in the biosciences division. Do you understand where I am going with this?'  
'He made the super soldier serum working for you'  
'Exactly. Back then we were a little more liberal in freedoms given to our scientists. He claimed to need certain resources from the surface. Made several trips up there. One day he does not return. It was twenty seven years ago'  
Her eyes went wide, lips pursed.  
'Oh come the fuck on. Me?'  
'Ze only logical explanation for his desertion is that he fell for a wasteland native. You are the result. Did you not wonder why we were eager to bring you in when we heard your name?'  
'As a bargaining chip to get him back?'  
'At first, yes. Since then you have proved to be a valuable asset. You have been gone for a long time'  
'I'd rather not return at all than without completing my mission. I know where my father is'  
'Go on'  
'He's in the Jefferson Memorial. Working on some big project. I tried to call it in to you but I guess I got blacklisted'  
'So you walked all the way here alone? Your perseverance is admirable Miss Rumlow. I have one final pressing question. You were in the city for a long time. Surely you would be recognised if you were to return?'  
'Not a chance. Where's my bag? The one I had when I got back here. Wait, how long have I been out?'  
'It has been three days since we opened the bunker door for you. Your belongings are being kept in quarantine'  
'There's something in there. It's like a clear mask. I used it to change my face. Nobody in Megaton or Rivet City or Olney knows who I really am'  
'That was a remarkable piece of technology. Alright. I am convinced'  
'As am I' boomed Chase's disembodied voice, 'Consider yourself back on active duty as soon as you see fit Specialist'  
*  
Rumlow felt strength return to her injured arm after accepting an experimental stimpak treatment from Zola. The day after waking from the coma, she left the recovery room and sought out Squad Sigma in the barracks. It was Kamala she encountered first.  
'Khan!'  
Her excitement came as a surprise to both her and her squadmate from Alpha group.  
'Brooke? I was just about to come see you'  
'You. You were?'  
'Sure, I mean, I never thought you'd actually betray us. Between you and me? I've wanted to punch Jack's lights out more than once'  
Rollins himself rounded the corner behind Kamala, with Andrew Lockhart and Edith Varr in tow.  
'Alright we're all here. Rumlow, got word from the Colonel that you have a mission lined up for us. Take the floor'  
The five of them convened in the group's common room. All took a seat on the sofas save for Brooke.  
'We have a simple snatch mission. Target is the Jefferson Memorial. That's where my father is. I take it you still have your wasteland gear?'  
'We do' Rollins answered.  
'Good. I suggest we go in daylight, he's more likely to be there. Forget the Vertibird too. Use something else from the air corps. Variation in air travel will throw anyone off. Any questions?'  
'None. Alpha group, ready up. We move out in thirty'  
Rumlow found that her bunk in the barracks had been kept as she left it by her team mates. Even her gear had been brought back from Bravo Seven Delta. She changed out of the green scrubs from the medical wing and into the functional wastelander garb. The scuffed bare steel helmet and metal-ceramic body armor brought a familiar comfort.  
In the hangar bay, the five soldiers found the two pilots that had supported them throughout their deployment at the power station. Mark Fordham and Gwen Harris were eating when Rollins addressed them.  
'Hey Jacky boy' the older man smiled, 'Need a ride somewhere shitty tonight?'  
'No Mark. I need one right now. We don't have time for subtlety either. What bird is ready to go, other than a Verti?'  
Fordham sat back casually in his chair and took a deep gulp from his drink.  
'Hmm. Pave Low just got a service so she's in top shape. Give us a half hour to stock up on ammo for the guns'  
'Alpha team will have it done in half the time. What's she packing?'  
'Three M2 Browning's. Your guys gonna man them too? Going in daylight is gonna attract attention'  
'We'd be happy to' Edith announced.  
The dark grey heavy lift helicopter was a fearsome sight to Brooke when it was wheeled into the centre of the hangar. It's singular main rotor looked to be twenty metres across. The machine guns were mounted just behind the cockpit on either side, and on the back ramp. Lockhart, Varr, and Khan took up positions after loading belts of .50 calibre rounds into the aircraft.  
The main hangar room was cleared in anticipation of the leviathan's takeoff. Brooke sat in the MH-53's massive cargo hold in one of it's spartan folding seats. Rollins was up front with the pilots, leaving her alone. The dual turboshaft engines mounted above her grunted into life. The six massive rotors began to spin. Before long, she replaced her cover helmet with a flight headset to protect her ears. With the back ramp open, the sonic boom from the rotor blades quickly became deafening. Just before the massive machine touched off from the hangar floor, Brooke clipped herself into a runner on the ceiling and walked back to Kamala. The woman was sat with her legs either side of the pintle mounted heavy machine gun. She also wore a flight helmet, decorated with a stylised dragon coiled around it.  
Rumlow tapped Khan on the shoulder to signal her presence. Kamala pulled down a prehensile microphone from her helmet and gestured for her to do the same.  
'I've wanted to fly in this beast since forever'  
'It's a long way from the Vertibird' Brooke replied.  
'Yeah. I think they call this one a Pave Low. No idea why. It's ancient compared to the Verti too, being in service from the late twentieth century. I guess when the Enclave fled from the west they had to use whatever they could find'  
'You sound like you should be a pilot'  
'I sound like I get bored out of my mind in that underground base'  
Brooke remained at the rear ramp, gazing out as they ascended. The dark metal underworld fell away. The helicopter angled south once free from it's underground home. The light of day stung her eyes momentarily before they adjusted. For the first time she could see the rolling hills in which Raven Rock nestled in broad daylight. The grey and brown barren slopes were intermittently broken by tufts of anemic hardy grasses. The large aircraft banked forward gently and began it's journey south. Brooke and Kamala found themselves transfixed by the landscape rolling under them as they swept over.  
'This was all green once. Verdant plains with clear blue waters' Khan mused.  
'It can and will again. We have the strength and will to clear the poison and decay of mutation from this land'  
The MH-53 flew low along the Potomac river towards the city. Edith Varr cast the barrel of her machine gun across the herd of deer scrambling from the bank. From the cockpit, Harris contacted her.  
'Starboard side, possible contact coming up. Looks like a raider den on a fishing dock'  
'Copy that'  
She pulled back the charging handle on the Browning, angling the gun forwards. Through the basic iron sight she watched the small cluster of shacks for any threats. The splitting ping of bullets hitting the fuselage beside her made Edith flinch.  
'Damn savages!' she cursed.  
Her weapon screamed, raking across the shacks. She couldn't confirm any kills, nor identify the aggressors, but succeeded in covering the helicopter from further attacks until they were out of range.  
After an hour and a half in flight, the aircraft found itself flanked by the broken cityscape of DC.   
'Okay Sigma, we got high rooftops either side so stay sharp. We'll be on the West Potomac Park in ten minutes'  
The mighty machine swept around the rotunda, giving Lockhart a clear view of the scarred marble edifice. A series of large pipes arranged in rows stretched from the memorial to the enclosed tidal basin just to the north.  
A lump rose in Brooke's throat. For half a year she had avoided committing too much thought to her father. He awaited just inside those walls. Harris put the chopper down gently on the open space fifty yards south of the memorial entrance. The heavy rotors continued to spin, kicking up dirt, dust, and spreading waves through the grass.  
'Okay, electronic jammers are active. We picked up a brief emergency signal but it's gone now' Mark announced.  
Brooke and Jack stepped off the rear ramp either side of the seated Kamala. With their feet on the ground, the Pave Low ascended once more.  
'Rumlow, Rollins, you got five minutes to get in and out with the target. We'll stay in a holding pattern until then. If you need fire support, just shout' Harris told them through the radio.  
There was no sign of movement from the building when the pair reached the base of the steps.  
'Any idea who that emergency signal went to Brooke?'  
'Could be Rivet City, the Brotherhood, or the Rangers. We'll be gone before any of them get here'  
The previously open rotunda was surrounded only by columns. A wall had been erected, leaving access only through the maintenance level on the ground floor. Brooke found the door unlocked. They pressed into the musky darkness within.  
'Stay sharp Rollins. My sources told me they have no security detail here, but I'm taking no chances'  
They found no sign of life moving through rooms full of all manner of machinery and equipment. None of it mattered to them, only the man that ran the project. The core of the building was a round room centred on a cylinder full of water. Within the tube was the statue of Jefferson himself. Thomas Rumlow stood at a console before the strange assembly when Brooke and Jack entered. He didn't turn to face them.  
'I take it you're here to take me back to the Rock' he said, over the clattering of keys.  
'Dad…'  
In her head, Brooke had envisioned the encounter to be devoid of emotion. She was here to do a job and nothing more. Seeing her father after all this time overwhelmed her. Her voice trembled.  
'Brooke…? What are you? What are you doing here?' he turned to her, aghast.  
'I've-' she stammered, 'I'm here to take you in. There's work to do'  
'Back to the Vault? Did Almodovar send you to retrieve me?'  
'Negative' Rollins called, catching Thomas's attention, 'We are here under the orders of Colonel Augustus Chase and Arnold Zola. You're right the first time old man. It's back to the Rock'  
'And if I refuse?'  
Brooke looked at Jack and nodded. Her produced a pistol and put it to her head. Thomas dropped his arms to his sides.  
'You wouldn't'  
'He would dad. We're all committed to our mission. It took me long enough to get someone to give up your location. Come on. Chopper is waiting'  
Brooke slapped the cuffs on her father's wrists and led him from the building. On the way out she questioned why he was here alone.  
'I told the other members of purity to take shelter as soon as we heard your arrival. I'll die before I give them up'  
'We could only care about them for one reason' Rollins replied.  
'I know. Full well. Not one of them knows of the existence of The Enclave, I assure you. I wouldn't put them in such jeopardy'  
Outside the building, the weather had turned. Green tinged grey clouds filled the skies. A light rain began to fall, swiftly becoming heavier. The trio were blinded by the combination of rainfall and the whirlwind kicked up by the grounded helicopter. Once inside, Brooke buckled her father into the first passenger seat, still cuffed. Outside, visibility had dropped so low that the memorial was barely visible.  
'Harris, Fordham, get us to altitude asap. I want no risks' she commanded.  
Rollins made no effort to question her superceding him. Whatever doubts he may have had evaporated when she told him to threaten her before they found her father.  
The heavy aircraft steadily rose high above the city through the driving rain, turning to face home. That's when Edith saw something in the swirling grey void.  
'Contact, Starboard! Missile incoming!'  
For its size, the Pave Low was still agile. Brooke gripped tight to the safety line clipped to the cargo hold ceiling to stay on her feet as the vehicle lurched to one side. The flying object that Edith had seen changed direction suddenly, swooping below the chopper.  
'What? What the hell is that thing?' she yelled.  
'Varr, report? Was that a missile or not?' Rollins responded.  
'I don't know? What else could it be?'  
The figure in the rain darted across Lockhart's field of view on the port side. The heavy thud of his Browning opening up filled the hold, to no avail.  
'Its not a missile' he gasped, 'It's a-'  
The flying shape appeared right at the port side weapon mount. Samantha l pulled the barrel of the machine gun to one side with one hand, retracting her wings to resist the downforce from the rotors above. Andrew froze in place, seeing only the dark red goggles of the woman who had appeared out of thin air. A five round burst kicked out of the machine pistol in Samantha's free hand, point blank into the man's chest. Before he hit the floor she was gone, free falling away from the helicopter.  
'Shit. Lockhart's down!' Rollins yelled.  
At the back of the long cargo hold, Brooke watched Jack move to help the injured man. A fear took over her. Who, or whatever attacked them could be anywhere in the grey abyss that surrounded her.  
'What the hell is going on back there?' came the voice of Harris from the front.  
Edith strained to see movement in her field of view, snapping off bursts at anything that could have been the assailant. Just like the opposite side, she felt something grip the long protruding gun barrel and wrench it aside. Varr acted fast, releasing the Browning and pulled the pistol from her thigh. A gloved hand snatched her wrist from the darkness. She squeezed her hand, firing the weapon. It missed. Samantha yanked Varr towards her, slamming the woman's head against the frame of the gunnery position. As before, the winged woman was gone before anyone saw what happened to Edith.  
Brooke put a reassuring hand on the woman sat on the ramp beside her. Both of them looked out expectantly at the maelstrom of wind and rain as they flew through it.  
'Rumlow! Anything?' Jack yelled.  
'No sir-'  
Something hard and flat swatted her backwards into the vehicle. Brooke skidded along the slick metal floor, ending at her father's feet. Her grip on the gun was lost, she watched it fall out of the helicopter. Samantha twisted in the air, pulling her wings in and kicking Kamala in one move. The woman fell from the ramp, held on only by her retaining strap. Sam locked eyes with Rumlow, pulling a knife and holding it to the strap where it was clipped in.  
'One move and your friend is toast!' Samantha roared.  
Brooke glared at the red goggled attacker. She pulled her pistol, calling her bluff. Wilson's left wing struck out, knocking the pistol away and sending a burning pain through Brooke's old wound. Rumlow spun, seizing a ripper from it's mount on the wall. With a quick squeeze on the trigger, the miniature bladed chainsaw roared into life. She put too much into the first swing, missing Samantha and falling. Her restraint stopped her falling from the aircraft, but the weapon sliced through Kamala's taunt strap effortlessly. Hanging over the edge, Brooke saw Kamala's eyes for a split second before she vanished into the void.  
'You'll die for that!' Brooke snarled, 'Who even are you?'  
'Me? I'm the Falcon, who the fuck are you?'  
The MH-53 lurched suddenly, throwing Samantha to her back foot. Brooke struck. Her weapon carved through the wing thrown up to protect Wilson. Samantha fell on her back, head facing the open cargo door. To avoid a lethal down swing she fired up her thruster and blasted out of the vehicle.  
Half of her left wing was flapping around, held on by a single spar. She was spinning, falling through hard rain. With no control and seconds to act, she pulled in her wings, powered down the thrusters, and spread out all four limbs. She was facing the ground now, not that she could see it. The orange handle on her chest was gripped and pulled hard, releasing the parachute. The force of the fast deploying device felt like breaking both her shoulders at once. For a few seconds, she felt relief, until the rooftop appeared barely feet away from her.  
*  
Brooke let the ripper fall from her hands. It clattered on the loading ramp, tumbled past the empty gunnery position, and fell into the grey soup. Her ears were ringing still from the sound of the chainsaw on the woman's wings. As the sound faded, a different cacophony pounded her senses.  
'Rumlow!' Jack yelled as if for the hundredth time.  
She lazily turned to face her commander, knelt over Andrew's still form.  
'Rumlow what the fuck was that? Where is Khan?'  
'Khan...she's gone'  
'Gone? Is she dead? Gwen, circle us around'  
'Stay the course pilot' Brooke grunted.  
'What? Rumlow, what are you doing?'  
'Kamala's dead. Don't turn around' she murmured.  
The helicopter remained in straight, level flight.  
Rollins had been trying to apply pressure to Andrew's wounds for the duration of Samantha's attack. Only when he gave up did he notice Edith lying unconscious inches away. Brooke shook off the post combat haze and crossed the fuselage to Jack and Edith. She nonchalantly placed two fingers on the latter's neck, then sat down. Rollins sat back in the flight engineer's seat and stared straight ahead.  
'Varr's alive. How long to the Rock, pilot?' Brooke called.  
In the cockpit, Mark and Gwen looked at eachother, concerned at Rumlow's impersonal address.  
'Uuh, ETA one hour. Anyone wanna tell us what just happened?'  
Brooke took a second to look at Rollins, then cleared her throat and adjusted her microphone.  
'We got hit. Assailant unknown but she had a jet powered wingsuit and went by the name Falcon. Lockhart and Khan are KIA. You said the memorial put out an emergency broadcast. Someone picked it up and this happened'  
She noticed her father sitting still in his seat near her. Brooke pulled the flight helmet from Lockhart's body and threw it to him to put on. The comms link was just between the two of them.  
'I imagine you have a lot of questions for me Brooke. I am sorry about your friends'  
'Why would I bother? How can I believe a word you say?'  
'Daughter-'  
'Don't daughter me Dad. You looked me right in the eyes and told me Steve was dead. Why?'  
'I thought that keeping you in the dark would keep you safe. I was wrong'  
'Yeah. You were. You know Jonas is dead because of you?'  
Thomas sighed in response.  
'Almodovar killed him?'  
'No. Allen Mack did. I killed him in retaliation on my way out'  
'I always expected you to take the path of violence'  
'You think there's no blood on your hands Dad? You could have just let that weak, sick little man die. Instead you caused untold damage. Jonas, Allen, Kamala, Andrew. All on you'  
'If that's what you believe'  
'That is the damn truth old man. Who the hell was the girl with the wings? Someone else you'd happily let die for you?'  
'I have no idea. I told you. I sent the rest of the project team to a safe place and awaited my capture. One of them must have requested intervention'  
Brooke and Rollins remained silent for the rest of the flight. They released Thomas from his restraints only to check on Edith, still lying motionless on the floor.  
*  
'Rangers HQ come in. Come in for fuck's sake. I'm downed in...I don't know where, I can't see shit through the storm. I'm on a rooftop. Somebody fucking answer me!'  
Samantha didn't even know if her radio was working. Her parachute dragged her across the roof of Hubris Comics before she could activate the automatic recall. It was only her last second firing of the thrusters that prevented serious injury on impact. It was also miraculous that she avoided the plethora of junk, rubble, and machinery that littered the top of the building. Wilson chose to remain in a sheltered section of the roof. Stretched tarpaulin had been tied to a cluster of antennae and pylons in the southwest corner. The cover could be a sign that the building was inhabited. She had no intention of disturbing who could be in the floors under her feet. Swirling rain still got to her, huddled in the dark corner as hours passed without any reply from Reilly or her group. She used a torch to look at the radio device, noticing how the screen was cracked, and scuffed around the edges. There was another option available to her. The slide cover on the device was moved, revealing a red button. She was about to press it when the sound of rain on the tarpaulin gradually relented. The air around her started to clear.  
'Finally I can find out where the fuck I am'  
She remained crouched, peeking over the rusted metal wall with her goggles on. The topographic sensors mapped out the open square park south of the printing factory. Large parts of the murky green space were flooded. She couldn't see any signs of movement, so stood up.  
'Ah shit'  
By the western road that limited the park space, she saw a figure half submerged in dark water. Samantha used the powerful magnification to ascertain what she immediately suspected. She only caught a glimpse of the soldier manning the gun on the back of the helicopter before kicking her off, but it was definitely her lying there.  
'I can at least find out who you are'  
Samantha slowly made her way to the ground on the outside of the building. The front facade had a decorative geodesic tower. Gaps between each beam and strut were large, making the descent difficult. With her feet on the ground she pulled out both machine pistols. Her goggles were set to motion detection. As she crossed the park, she kept scanning rooftops in all directions. Kamala's body lay in front of the facility of a chemical company called Terrigen. The towering silos and tanks were all ruptured and broken to various degrees. Only up close did Samantha notice streaks of technicolour liquid flowing across the road from the factory. She noticed something else here too. Crouched right beside Kamala with her knees in the mud, Samantha rifled through the pockets of her heavy soaked clothes. There were light grooves in the wet mud around the woman.  
'Come on, who are you? Ahhh Christ you're still breathing'  
Without hesitation she pulled the radio device out and hit the emergency beacon repeatedly. A red light began to flash, which she took as a good sign. She put it together in her head. The woman had pulled herself from the water before passing out where she lay. Her wet clothes were cold to the touch. Samantha unclipped her flight harness and held the pack in her hands. Using minimal power, she used the thruster to apply heat to the unconscious woman.  
'You're tough as shit, whoever you are. Damn'  
She pulled the cowl from around the woman's neck, where it looked constricting, then folded it under her head. A gust blew across the floodwater, bringing an object that caught Samantha's eye. She pulled the upturned flight helmet when it drifted to the shore at Kamala's feet.  
'This yours? It's cool. Nice snake'  
She idly turned the helmet around in her hands, noticing an inscription on the right side.  
'20th Special Operations Squadron, Green Hornets. Hmm airforce. Didn't know those guys were still around. Doesn't explain why you're otherwise dressed like a wasteland-'  
She stopped mid sentence. The sound of the wind became something else. Engines. Jet engines. Had they returned for her? She thought. Instinctively she pulled the harness back on, before remembering it was damaged. She still deployed the one complete wing, coiling it around herself and resting her gun barrel on the leading edge.  
A glint in the sky caught her attention as the sun broke through the clouds. Something was moving, flying, leaving a streak of white vapour behind it. Backing towards a brick storefront, Samantha finally saw what was approaching.  
'What in the world?'  
The silver human figure clumsily landed, cracking the asphalt under heavy feet. It was a man clad in a suit of armor. A circle of white light sat under hardened glass in the chest. Thrust modules in his palms and heels gave flight ability.  
'Who the fuck are you and what do you want?' Samantha yelled, both machine pistol barrels leveled at the Iron Man.  
'I was doing a little signal intrusion and picked up an emergency beacon' came the suit's amplified response.  
The faceplate split, opening vertically to reveal the face of Tony Stark.  
'Stark? What? What the hell is that?'  
'Say hello to the Armored Suit Iron Man mk II, Samantha Wilson. You put out the beacon?'  
She finally lowered the wing, and stowed her weapons.  
'I did. It's a long story. Weird one. You just made it weirder. Guess the rest sounds more probable. Is Reilly coming?'  
'She is. Moving below ground. Shouldn't be long. Hang on I'll call her. JARVIS, patch me back through to Commander Tiernan'  
The suit emitted a dial tone, then broadcasted the call.  
'This is Reilly? Got news for me Stark? Have you found Sam?'  
She laughed and smiled.  
'Yeah, I'm here. I'm okay. Where are you?'  
'Approaching Mason District South Metro, so like twenty minutes from you'  
'Oh shit. Yeah. I'm in the Mason District aren't I. Cool. I'll sit tight with Stark and…oh. Yeah got a story for you'  
Reilly closed off the communication just as Tony noticed the woman laid in the mud.  
'This a friend of yours? JARVIS, She alive?'  
'She is sir'  
Stark used the suit's power to lift Kamala into his arms with ease, despite the weight of her armor and clothing.  
'Yeah it's complicated. I kicked her out of a helicopter during a fight'  
'A helicopter? A working one? Where?'  
'I lost it. We got a hit on an emergency callout from the Jefferson. Some science project. I get there just as this massive thing is taking off. Chased it into a rainstorm'  
'Jefferson! Purity? Was it Thomas Rumlow?'  
'No idea, there was some old dude chained up in the helicopter. Didn't look like he wanted to be there in the few seconds I was'  
'Ah damn it, that'd be him. So she's part of an airborne crew that snatched one of the brightest minds in the wasteland'  
'Yup. Hopefully once this nine lived character comes around she can give us answers'  
Reilly arrived with the entirety of Alpha squad from the subway station to the north.  
'Sam! Sam what happened? Who is that?' the heavily armed redhead called as she got to the trio.  
Wilson went through the whole story, becoming more and more confused as it went on.  
'Okay. Stark could you fly this Jane Doe to Rivet? Doc Preston is the best quack I know, and we need answers'  
'Hmm yeah I'd love too but I'm grounded for now. I barely got myself here without incident. Still ironing out issues in the flight software'  
'Right. Well can you carry her at least?'  
'Sure thing'  
'I'll take point with Stark. I need my wing fixed too. Think you're up to the task Iron Man?'  
'You know I have been itching to have a look at that mechanical marvel on your back. I'd be happy to Miss Wilson'  
'Cool. Good. We'll head back to Seward in that case' Reilly said, 'Safe travels Sammy. I'll see you at home soon'  
Samantha stroked Reilly's face with the back of her finger, then kissed her softly.  
'Thanks for coming to rescue me babe. Love you'  
'Love you more' Reilly beamed.  
The words brought the same flutter as always.


	4. Rivet City - 1st May 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stark is keen to find out the perpetrators of an armed abduction

Night was falling when Stark and Wilson crossed the long bridge to Rivet City. She assumed that the hours spent walking in a metal suit were uncomfortable for him. He insisted the opposite.  
'This pretty much walks for me. It reads electrical signals sent to motor neurones in my limbs to move at the same time I do'  
She went with him to take Kamala to the doctor's office. Charles Preston was just saying his farewells to a visitor when the six foot armored man ducked into his office. Preston had been the ship's chief physician for two decades. Before that he was the resident surgeon of the northern city of Olney. He had seen every kind of injury and ailment in that time, leaving very little that could surprise him.  
'Hey doc, got a doozy for ya'  
'Good heavens! Tony Stark what are you wearing?'  
'Story time later. Got a sleepy enigma for you here'  
'Oh, of course yes, bring her right through'  
Stark laid the woman on the gurney in the room behind Preston's office, with Samantha in tow. She was caught off guard when he turned to leave.  
'You're going?'  
'I am. Gotta take this thing off which is a laborious process at best'  
'But what about-'  
'Your free falling friend? You're gonna know more about her than me kid. See you around'  
Samantha turned back to Preston, who was checking Kamala's vital signs.  
'So this a friend of yours Sam?' he asked softly.  
'No, uh, actually. Her friends tried to kill me, then one of them let her fall out of their helicopter'  
'She fell? How far?'  
'Uuuuh'  
Samantha tried to recall the readout on the altimeter during the engagement, unsure if it was one hundred feet or one thousand. She told the doctor it was the lesser value.  
'She's lucky to be alive. I haven't found any sign of significant head trauma which is good. Was she unconscious before you knocked her out of the helicopter?'  
'No. And it wasn't me Preston. She landed in floodwater in Mason Park. From the looks of it she crawled from it herself before blacking out'  
'I see. You and Stark did well to keep her warm, but I'm going to ask for your help in getting her out of these clothes'  
With Kamala in dry clothes and hooked up to monitoring equipment, Preston thanked Samantha for her assistance.  
'Anything else I can do Doc?'  
'I'm afraid it's just a waiting game now. I'll have her kept under observation. Do you think she could be dangerous once she wakes up?'  
'I don't know. Out of everyone on that chopper she was the only one not to directly threaten me, not that I gave her a chance'  
Samantha went through Kamala's jacket, still hanging on a hook by the table of her possessions and clothes. From a large pocket she pulled a set of restraining cuffs and a key.  
'If she's coming around and you want to play it safe, use her own tools against her'  
The doctor nodded.  
Stepping out into the dim metal corridor, Samantha paused and sighed, looking at the strip light on the ceiling above her. The gravity of the day's events caught up with her.  
'Shit. Reilly'  
She remembered her broken radio. Her girlfriend could still be waiting for her to report in her safe return. Climbing through the city stairwells to the comms room, an announcement addressed her directly. She recognised the woman's voice, but not her name.  
'Samantha Wilson please come to SRP Armorers in the market hall. Samantha Wilson'  
'Hmm? Sure whatever'  
She turned on her heel and headed back into the lower levels. Pepper stood waiting outside the closed store. Noise and bustle echoed across the hall from the restaurant, the only business open late into the evening.  
'Hey, sorry I don't know if you have things to be getting on with'  
'No, it's cool. Tony chasing after me?'  
'Yeah, come with me, he's down in the Bow'  
'He's where?'  
The two women crossed over to the front half of the ship. In the workshop they stood level with Rhodes, watching expectantly as Tony stood on the circular plinth in his armor.  
'Hey, there she is. The Washington Falcon! I'll get your wings looked at once I change into something a little more comfortable'  
James nudged Sam.  
'This is so cool, I will never get tired of this. I'm James Rhodes by the way'  
'From the Bannister mission? Reilly speaks highly of you'  
'I've heard great things about you too. Okay here goes'  
Stark stood with hands outstretched. The floor around his feet came apart, separating into four articulated mechanical arms. Piece by piece the entire suit was removed from Stark, beginning with the hands.  
'Oh God please don't tell me he's naked under that' Samantha whispered to Rhodes.  
Every plate of armor, bolt, screw and piston was meticulously taken apart and stored, leaving Tony in just a vest and sweatpants. Samantha just laughed.  
'Well there it is. He builds a flying suit and does it in his fucking PJs'  
'Its cool though right?' Stark declared.  
'Yes Mike. It is very cool. Thanks for the help today too. Forgot to say it in Preston's office'  
Stark only raised a hand in acceptance.  
'And uh, can I borrow your radio? I need to let Reilly know I'm okay'  
'Sure thing'  
He pointed at Pepper, who gasped and handed Samantha the small device in her pocket.  
'Pass your broken device here and I'll take a look at it'  
Wilson obliged, moving away from the trio to talk in private. Before a connection was made, she also slipped out of her flight harness and put it in Tony's hands. A childish grin spread across his face on receipt of the fabled machine.  
'This is comms officer Yara Selwyn of the Rangers. State your name and business'  
'Yaz! It's Sam'  
Selwyn's gruff tone evaporated.  
'Oh hey, want me to patch you through to the commander?'  
'Yes please-'  
She tapped her fingers on the wooden bar top.  
'This is-' Reilly began.  
'Hey Red! I, I mean we, made it to Rivet'  
'Thats great I was beginning to worry. Without incident I hope?'  
'Eeeh not exactly. Got jumped by some ferals in Alexandra Metro'  
'Oh shit'  
'We're fine though, Stark handed the sleeping princess to me and scared them off with that bright light in his chest'  
'So no casualties?'  
'I was getting to that. Oh my God it was so cool. So we rounded on a single Super Mutant Ancient'  
'Okay I am never letting you go anywhere alone again. Those things are bullet sponges. I've told you the horror stories'  
'Well, ya see, Stark doesn't use bullets'  
'Tony Stark took on an Ancient? Are you kidding me?'  
'He took that fucker to town, Red. I don't know who taught him to fight but he has the moves'  
'Well colour me surprised. You coming back here tonight?'  
'I'll stay in the city until my wings are fixed if that's cool with you?'  
'Of course babe. I can ask Stark to cover your hotel stay. Guy has a life debt to me'  
'Thanks. He's gonna fix up my radio so if you want to have some fun later?'  
Reilly giggled, making Samantha's breath catch in her throat.  
'I take that as a yes?'  
'One hundred percent Sammy. Talk later'  
She turned to see her wingsuit was already being scrutinised by Stark on a worktop. He utilised the same hologram tech equipped surface from creating his mark II suit, spreading both wings out wide. With the assistance of JARVIS, a white laser scanned the entire device in seconds. Tony used hand gestures to lift the virtual projection of the wings above them.  
'Right buddy, give me a full material breakdown. Why do we need to get this bird in the sky'  
'Calculating now sir. It will be a few moments'  
'Great. Time for a minor celebration. Wilson, do you partake?'  
'Sure, beer will be fine'  
Rhodes made himself useful and went over to the bar. He pulled two dark brown bottles from a fridge, poured a glass of red wine for Pepper, and shook up a martini for Stark. The four of them sat around the glowing table, their drinks placed on the polished steel rim.  
'So how was your first flight Mike?' Samantha asked, after sipping her beer.  
'It was...it was something else. Made a big difference from just hovering around and crashing into everything in here'  
'Nah Mike that was just hilarious. I laughed so hard my ribs hurt' James added.  
'I gotta say the thrill never goes away. Flying and fighting though? Damn that's a different ball game' Samantha said.  
'Hmm yeah. Been meaning to address your little dogfighting action. Which I'm sure was spectacular and I'm annoyed I couldn't witness' Stark praised, 'Tell me about this thing. We could find out who we're dealing with before sleeping beauty wakes up'  
'Okay, go ahead. I'll tell you as much as I remember'  
'Right. JARVIS? Take notes here buddy'  
'So it had to be like 80 feet long. One massive rotor up top with a little vertical one at the back'  
'Yeah that's definitely a helicopter' Rhodes smirked.  
'Fuck you' Samantha laughed, 'Uuuh. It had three manned gunnery positions. One either side just behind the pilot's cabin and another on an open ramp on the back'  
'Hmm' Stark wondered, 'J? Does that narrow it down?'  
'I have compiled a list of heavy transport helicopters that have such an arrangement Sir, but it is still long'  
'Ooh! There was another thing!' Samantha chirped, 'The woman that fell had a helmet on, with a unit label. It was...oh come on. Twentieth Special Operations Squadron! Does that help JARVIS?'  
'It certainly does. I have found publicly available records of hardware utilised by that air force unit'  
JARVIS minimized the projection of the wingsuit, throwing up images of a Sikorsky CH-3 and MH-53. The vehicles were of roughly similar design and arrangement, but it was the latter's refueling probe that caught Samantha's attention.  
'That one! On the left that was it!' she yelled.  
Jarvis closed the CH-3 image and created a three dimensional render of the remaining helicopter.  
'The Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low combat search and rescue helicopter. It also found use in clandestine insertion and recovery missions. It was in service from 1968 to 2008'  
Stark gazed upon the rotating image in wonder.  
'Well I'll be damned. Somebody got this old girl up and running again. Can you tell us where she came from J?'  
'The 20th SOS were based at Cannon Air Force Base, in New Mexico. That is outside of it's operational range'  
'What is the range of it?' Pepper asked.  
'Six hundred and eighty miles Ma'am'  
'Great' James chuckled, 'So we just put a three hundred forty mile circle around the Jefferson. I guess it narrows it down a little'  
'We'll just have to wait until the woman wakes up' Samantha said, 'She's either blessed or tough as shit to survive the fall. Preston said she has no severe head injuries either'  
'She has the key to finding out who took Thomas Rumlow. I'll be watching her with great interest' Stark said, solemnly.


	5. Scrapyard - 13th May 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve tests out various technologies developed by Stark Sr. Rumlow finds an invaluable asset

The firing range played host to an unusual display twice a day. A tall, muscular man has the practice area to himself. The partition walls were pushed aside, giving him more space. There were no paper targets, only a broad, bare tree trunk with a black X painted on it. It stood halfway down the range at twenty five metres. That was the distance Director Fury wanted him to be proficient at. The sound of the shield in flight held a strange fascination for Steve. He couldn't work out exactly what caused the almost ethereal howl. At first he assumed it was the air passing through the two leather straps. Removing them did nothing to stop the delicate noise. He quickly noticed how little difference the straps made to it's aerodynamic properties, even though they were attached off-center. He'd been in the wide open range for an hour. Sweat was beginning to seep through his grey vest, leaving dark patches on the material. Still he went on. Rogers would put his entire body into the swing, rotating a full 360 as the instructor had shown him.  
Rogers' technique matched that of pre war athletes, according to SWORD PT Meara Hilde. Fury sent Steve straight to her when he returned with Stark Sr's creation.  
'You ever heard of the Olympics pretty boy?' the toned brunette asked.  
'Some big sports event?'  
'Exactly. Had a sport called discus throwing. Little four and a half pound disc thrown as far as possible'  
The disc would fly straight and level every time, it was only Steve's aim that affected its course. To prove such a theory, Fury had Barton throw it. On his first attempt, the shield struck the centre of the X at a range of fifty metres. With a few pointers from the marksman, Steve was regularly hitting the trunk with such force that only he could pry the shield free.  
Agent Jasper Sitwell entered the range as Steve pulled the shield from the tree trunk for the last time for the day.  
'You're gonna need a new tree soon at this rate Captain' the bald suited man called.  
'Jasper. What can I do for you?'  
'We have something special for you and Sergeant Barnes. Piece of tech and an assignment to go with it. Come on, we'll get her from the gymnasium on the way down to R&D'  
Rebecca was drenched in sweat when the two men found her wailing on a punchbag held by Meara Hilde in the training space. The white tape around her knuckles was beginning to fray and tear. Hilde saw Steve and Jasper approach but didn't stop Barnes until she was done. Only when the woman paused did her instructor nod at the newcomers.  
'Hey Steve. Agent Sitwell'  
'Sargeant Barnes. Hope we're not interrupting'  
'Not any more. What's going on?'  
'We have a new toy for you to test out. Can we borrow her Meara?' the agent asked.  
'This bag of sand had her on the ropes. She's is all yours'  
Hilde fist bumped Barnes and passed her a bottle of water. She was still breathing heavily with a pounding heart when the three of them arrived at the research and development sector of SWORD HQ.  
'Its a motorcycle?'  
Steve stated the obvious when faced with Sitwell's surprise.  
'It's the only working motorcycle in the wasteland, last we checked. After the resource wars there was a panic to build electric vehicles but it was too little too late. We convinced Stark senior to roll back the tech on this one so it runs on fusion cores, just like power armor'  
Rebecca scoffed.  
'You expect us to ride around on a nuclear bomb?'  
'The dual core fuel system holds the FCs in an armored cavity within the machine. If it gets breached, you're more than likely already dead anyway'  
Sitwell's flat response made Barnes laugh.  
'Well I'm convinced. Are you Steve?'  
'Totally. You said there was a job with it Sitwell?'  
'Yeah, get from here to Olney and back without dying'  
Rebecca's uproarious laughter disturbed the technicians working in other areas of the lab. She composed herself and wiped a tear from her eye. Even Steve couldn't help but smile at her joy.  
'Okay, talk us through this thing' Rogers said.  
Sitwell called over chief engineer Dan Praetor to explain the capabilities of the machine. The small man couldn't help but fidget with his glasses throughout.  
'Uuhh so yeah we um. We got the bike. It's uh F800GS. German, I think. Well it was. Obviously the engine displacement doesn't mean much when it's been replaced by a nuclear core. 'Cus of the power, it is automatic, so no messing with gears. Easy peasy. If you look at the front, you'll see we removed the light. For night travel we got you NV attachments for your helmets. Waste of power and just attracts trouble-'  
'What about bugs?' Rebecca interrupted, 'We've been on the road. Giant creepers don't like bright lights'  
'Uh yeah, thought of that. Got a cache of flares. Light this baby up and get out of the hot zone in a jiffy'  
'Okay. Cool. What are these hooks for?' Steve asked, pointing at the forward prongs on the handlebars.  
'Oh uhh. Do you mind if I?'  
Praetor awkwardly gestured for Steve's shield, taking hold of it and mounting the shield to the machine.  
'Okay that is cool, thanks Daniel'  
'Oh ahaha thanks. So the wheels are all terrain so you don't have to stick to the roads cus they get blocked with cars. It has a radio set with presets for us here, Reilly's Rangers, Sheriff Simms in Megaton, and Rivet City. Hmm oh!'  
He went around to the far side and lifted a long tube angled above the exhaust.  
'Got a holster here, especially designed for your Springfield rifle Miss err Sergeant. Ma'am'  
*  
Barnes and Rogers geared themselves up and made ready to set off thirty minutes after being shown the machine. In their quarters, Rebecca called Steve for a moment just as he got to the door.  
'Wait, come here a second'  
They stood close. Looking up at him, Barnes hadn't actually thought of what she wanted to say. She just smiled for a moment and laughed quietly.  
'What's up?' he asked, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear.  
Her heart fluttered.  
'God damn you know what that does to me. I don't know. I thought we had these guys, SWORD, figured out and now this? I mean…'  
She gasped, hands gesturing in disbelief.  
'An actual working vehicle? I know it's just one but what if there could be more? It's like a massive step forward. Reinventing the wheel!'  
'It is pretty awesome. And it's crazy that it's us to make that first step. Are you ready?'  
He put a gloved hand out. Mimicking the gesture they'd learned from wasteland tradecraft, she reached up and gripped his wrist.  
'I'm ready. Let's go see Olney'  
*  
A large cargo lift gave them access to the surface. On the ground, pneumatic rams pulled the piled vehicle wrecks apart, revealing the hidden riser. Steve sat on the bike watching the ceiling descend before him on a giant scissor lift. Rebecca sat behind him, one hand holding him around the waist. She used her left arm to check their route on her Pipboy. Their helmets were both equipped with wireless microphones.  
'Go right first once we're out of the scrapyard, then another right after five miles towards Minefield'  
'Got it. You comfortable back there?'  
'Yeah, this seat is surprisingly nice'  
With the lift ready for them, Steve felt a mix of unease and excitement. He squeezed the brake lever on the right handlebar, and pushed the button under the left.  
'Woah' the pair gasped together.  
The revived engine thundered into life beneath them, rattling in a deep rhythm. He turned the accelerator lightly, then let it go when the vehicle rolled forward under its own power.  
'Oh woah ho ho it actually works!' he howled.  
'That's great Cap, now get going. We can't leave our back door open forever' Fury called over a PA system.  
'Ahh yup. Yes Director'  
The bike jolted forward again, then rolled gently as he got a feel for the controls. On the surface, the route out of the maze of junk and cars was straight ahead. Beyond the walls of the scrapyard, they heard the concealing wrecks sliding back into place.  
'Does this feel as weird for you as it does for me?' he asked her as they began their journey on the winding road West.  
'This is amazing Steve'  
He felt her arms around him squeeze. In response he held them with his free hand.  
'Twenty five miles an hour. Do you think we're the fastest thing in the Capital Wasteland Becky?'  
'I dunno. Meara says a Deathclaw can reach thirty'  
They crested a hill. Ahead of them lay open plains and, more importantly, a clear road, at least on the right side.  
'Well then we better top that'  
Rebecca's firm hold went from one of affection to exhilaration. Her mic was off but Steve could still hear her whooping in excitement. The red needle on the digital display ticked over fifty miles per hour.  
Back on level ground they quickly found the right turning, then continued through the town known as Minefield. At the imposing factory ruins they turned again, sending them east towards Canterbury.  
'Its so strange following these routes again so fast' Rebecca mused.  
'I know. I feel like we'd miss the small things going everywhere so quickly'  
This part of their journey was slower, owing to the wreckage choked roads. It times, it was easier for them to leave the road altogether, leaving a trail in the muddy grass verges that bordered the way. After an hour on the motorcycle, they reached the great northern highway. The raised six lane route rarely went further than a few hundred metres before a collapsed section, so Steve stuck to riding in it's shadow.  
'I have an idea, it will be really cool'  
'What is it Steve? Actually, just do it. Surprise me'  
Close to the city of Olney, they found an intact on-ramp. The fusion-fired motorcycle ascended thirty feet up effortlessly. At the top, he dodged through jackknifed trucks and cars to the west side of the road. Here, Rogers switched off the engine and flicked out the kickstand with his foot. The two of them stepped off the bike and removed their helmets.  
'Give me a rusted chrome dome over this thing any day. Feels like my head was being squished' she gasped.  
'Hey, better safe than sorry. These are soft on the inside at least'  
'Yeah, I'll give em that'  
They walked to the barrier at the edge of the road. A three foot concrete wall stood between them and a lethal fall. They could see the large town to the north west for the first time, bathed in the afternoon sun.  
'Can't believe we haven't come up here sooner. Olney's the closest to a pre war town we're gonna get around here' Rebecca said.  
Olney was a walled city, fortified completely by successive generations over the years since the bombs fell. The ambitious settlers that first occupied the empty shells of Olney took lessons from far back in human history. At first they had no electricity, relying on primitive methods of construction and farming. Gradually, as word of the community spread and migrants moved to swell it's population, technology leapt forward to the modern world. It's vast medieval looking walls remained, weathering attacks from mutant incursions from the west.  
'Its an incredible place. Weird seeing steel and concrete hemmed in by basic stone fortifications though' Steve said.  
'What? Don't like the juxtaposition of old and new, Mr 'I carry a shield around everywhere'' Rebecca joked.  
Suddenly her laughter stopped. Steve followed her concerned gaze far to the west.  
'What is it?' he asked.  
'That's not a natural dust cloud. There, see it?' she pointed.  
As Rogers squinted, Rebecca ran to the motorcycle and pulled out her rifle. She knelt on the trunk of a car, using the roof to perch her Springfield.  
'I knew it. Got movement. Two groups. Oh shit'  
'Trouble?'  
'Big fucking trouble. Travellers being chased by mutants. Lots of them. They have kids with them. I don't know if they'll make it to Olney unless-'  
Rebecca's world closed in on her suddenly. Stood on top of the car, she could feel no breeze, hear nothing at all except her heart beginning to hammer. Time slowed when she looked down at Steve, standing next to the motorcycle. That look in his eyes told her everything she wanted to hear. She leapt down as he grabbed both helmets. She eschewed stowing the rifle, choosing instead to sling it over her back and use the spare seconds to kiss Rogers before they covered their faces.  
The ride down to the ground was hurried, though they could appreciate the smooth asphalt. Once descended, Steve cut across the road in a beeline to the distressed caravan. They passed before the road to Olney's gated entrance, noticing stares from soldiers atop the walls. Rebecca used her microphone link to the radio set, patching directly through to SWORD and Fury himself. Steve heard the exchange through his headset.  
'Come in HQ this is Barnes. We have encountered a mutant threat to civilian life a click west of Olney. Moving to intercept'  
'This is Fury. How many hostiles? Our nearest STRIKE team is thirty minutes from your position'  
'I don't know. Enough to chase a caravan of fifty plus people. We're making contact with the civs now'  
They stopped at the head of the column making its way hurriedly towards the safety of Olney. Off of their machine, Rebecca used her scope to spot the yellow skinned horde bearing down on them from the western hills.  
'Fuck there's gotta be at least thirty of them' she grunted.  
Turning, she saw Steve lifting the shield and tightening the strap around his arm. The caravan's pace was slow, with many people on foot rather than the Brahmin drawn carts and wagons.  
'Steve, if we don't buy them some time these people are gonna die' she called.  
He nodded. They both ran against the tide if men, women and children, seeing only scared and tired faces. Once clear of the crowd, only open road and fields stood between them and the large band of Mutant warriors.  
'Steve, I'm gonna try to thin out the ones with guns. If they had snipers we'd know. I need a perch big guy'  
Rogers did as they had practiced before. He knelt before her, offering his shoulder to steady her gun. In return he could cover both of them from the front with his shield.  
'Here goes Steve. I love you'  
She didn't hear him respond over the sound of her first shot. An assault rifle in the hands of an armored mutant exploded. In the split second she reloaded, Rogers repeated his reciprocation of affection. Despite their numbers, the band of mutants only had a handful of firearms between them. Rebecca destroyed all the guns she could see before they came within half a mile. At that distance, the monstrous yellow brutes began to sprint, throwing up a maniacal war chant. Steve looked at them, then momentarily back at Rebecca. As a spent cartridge caught her eye she looked at him.  
'Steve…'  
'Go Becky. I got this'  
He stood up and broke into a run. He couldn't hear what she was yelling at him. The first few mutants to close in on him fell with 30.03 rifled bullets slamming through their heads. One fallen brute dropped a long handled sledge hammer, which Rogers picked up in his right hand. With eight bodies behind him he finally found himself too close for Rebecca's cover. He was alone. The horde was all around him. He moved to hit them first. The solid metal hammer head splintered limbs and cracked skulls, as his shield shrugged off blows from massive swords, clubs and hatchets.  
From Rebecca's vantage point she could only see a mass of yellow and the clamour of distant violence. The group around Steve seemed transfixed by him. If any strayed to approach her she put them down. Something in the corner of her eye drew her to turn to the left. She saw nothing but a shimmer in the air before her.  
'What the-'  
She fired the rifle from the hip. A pained yelp filled her ears. Sparks of lightning crackled in the shape of the invisible mutant before it's stealth device failed. The purple skinned monster collapsed as it's brothers descended on the her.  
Steve noticed the mutants had stopped attacking. They stood in a circle around him, but backed away whenever he approached them to engage. Still, around a dozen broken corpses lay at his feet. Silently they watched him, gasping for breath and slick with Mutant blood and ichor.  
'What? Why won't you fight me?' he screamed.  
The Mutants, faces contorted with pain and anger, said nothing. Only when a larger, hulking Ancient pushed through the horde did he get an answer.  
'You strong for human. Yes? Kill many Mutant brothers'  
'What...you can talk?'  
'Mutants not stupid. Mutants smart and strong. Live by rules told by our Master'  
'What do you mean?'  
He dropped to one knee, then brought his Pipboy to his mouth.  
'Becky? Are you in the city. Please tell me you went to the city'  
'You not human, carrier of shield. You smell of Mutant' the Ancient grunted.  
'So what?' he called.  
'Mutant not kill Mutant. Is what Master told us. Crastigus lead, follow code'  
'Then I'll just kill you all! I don't live by your rules!'  
He threw the shield directly at the Ancient, only for a bare chested brute to take the hit in his place. The creature collapsed.  
'You will stop now. Starshield!' yelled the Ancient, pointing past Steve.  
He turned, and dropped the sledge hammer.  
'Becky!'  
The woman was forced two her knees, seemingly in a gap in the crowd. Arcs of electricity fizzed, then the stealthboy using Nightkin made themselves known.  
'Steve I'm sorry'  
He got up and charged to her, only to be mobbed by a swarm of massive hands. He tried to beat them back, landing heavy blows, but they were too many. The mound of feral muscle and anger buried Rogers until he could no longer hear Rebecca screaming. A massive arm found its way around Steve's neck, squeezing until blackness filled his vision.  
Rebecca twisted in her captor's grip, pulling a knife from her pocket. The blade was buried in the hand on the opposite shoulder, only for her to receive a punch from a fist the size of her head. She tasted blood, and felt something jagged in her mouth. Spitting, she saw fragments of her own teeth in the liquid that stained the ground red. Still she flailed, screaming until her throat went raw. Dragged by her arms towards the hills, she saw Steve lying motionless amongst the mounds of dead Mutants.  
Four more times she tried to wrestle fruitlessly against the mutant dragging her, only to be beaten each time.  
'Why won't you fucking kill me?' she screamed each time, until her voice was little more than a whimper. An hour being pulled over grey lifeless hills and the horde returned to their encampment. Rebecca was dumped next to a massive firepit in the middle of towering metal shacks. Through blackened eyes she could only see the glare of the sun. No muscle in her body could move, except the heart she cursed for still beating.  
A particularly fat Mutant was called from his bone covered rusted, disheveled home, dragging a brutal serrated cleaver behind him. The rest of the horde parted, giving the butcher a path to Rebecca.  
She blinked, trying desperately to see why all movement and sound around her had ceased. The forms of the Mutants assembled around seemed to be looking at her expectantly. Then the footsteps approached. With each heavy fall, she heard the scraping of metal on rock. The noise stopped close to her head, then the Butcher bellowed.  
'To our leader go the first spoils!'  
A demented chorus of howls followed. Massive rough fingers seized her arm, holding it out stretched. Rebecca pulled back, only for the motion to be repeated. This time though, and iron shod boot slammed on her elbow. The joint splintered, sending fire rushing through her arm. Her mouth opened but no sound came out.  
'Now Butcher!' the Ancient grunted.  
The fire raging in Rebecca's arm suddenly stopped. Her ears rang with the sound of metal hitting stone. She could make out something being passed from one dark figure above her to the other. Over he ringing, the sound of rushing wind began to build up, louder and louder. The crowding silhouettes left her.  
Finally, darkness took her.  
*  
Five minutes earlier and ten miles due south. Brooke sat in the passenger hold of the UH-1 Iroquois. Opposite her was Jack Rollins and Edith Varr. All three were wearing unmarked black combat armor. After the debacle following the Jefferson raid, all clandestine operatives wore full armor as standard, though still without any indentifying marks.  
On the floor between them were four restrained captives. The two men and two women were bound and bagged, just as Brooke had been before. She mirrored her abduction in more ways than one, even using an eyebot as a lure, offering help and salvation to the four escaped slaves.  
Brooke's patience with her father was getting thin. Almost a dozen people had been subjected to his newly created serum which he claimed to be identical to the one he used to save Rogers. She watched all of them die, one by one, shortly after. The conversations she witnessed between her father and Zola always went the same.  
'It's extremely unlikely for this to work damnit. You don't wonder why Steve is the only successful product on something that's been worked on for decades?'  
'We have plenty of fresh subjects for you Thomas, and you have plenty of time'  
Brooke was personally chosen to lead up the missions to bring in captured wastelanders by Colonel Autumn. As the CO of the Jefferson raid, Rollins was demoted and was now her subordinate.  
In the ride back from the most recent grab, Gwen Harris called in an observation from the front of the vehicle.  
'Big bonfire over at that group of shacks on the right. Hey are those mutants?'  
Brooke looked over at the approaching point of interest, then it hit her.  
'Gwen! What's our fuel looking like?'  
'Plenty for the journey. You want an excursion?'  
'Yes pilot. Angle north east. Give me a bead on those shacks. Jack, Edith? Ready up'  
She shuffled over to the dual mounted Browning M2s and pulled back the charging handle on both. Opposite her, Varr clipped herself to the seat and sat ready with her rifle. The open space in the middle of the gore-strewn camp came into view. The pair roughly counted twenty mutants gathered around the fire.  
'Weapons free. Light them up'  
The kick from the machine guns was felt through the whole airframe, causing further panic in the prone captives. Brooke fired in quick bursts, watching the yellow skinned creatures collapse in droves. The group had no ranged weapons to respond with. Some ran for cover within the rusted metal shacks, others fruitlessly charged in the direction of the helicopter as it cut them down. After less than a minute, Rumlow and Varr couldn't see any more targets.  
'Harris? Put us down. Close as you can, then circle around. Get on this .50 Jack and cover us'  
Edith shot her a look of concern. In response Brooke mouthed the word 'wait' and held up a finger. The two hopped off the aircraft before it's skids touched the dry rocky earth. Brooke hit the side of the fuselage, letting her pilot know they could head off. The swirl of grew dust forced them to pause before pushing into the Mutant stronghold. Metal rods and girders had been sharpened and driven into the earth as defensive stakes.  
'Why are we in this hellhole Rumlow?'  
'You said you wanted to see these disgusting creatures up close'  
'Yes and I was drunk when I said that last week'  
'I wandered too close to this camp on my way back to the Rock after Megaton. One of the fuckers here got me in the arm. I want payback'  
Varr scoffed.  
'You had us diverge from a mission so you could get revenge'  
Brooke paused and locked eyes with Edith as they walked.  
'Yes. The one that got me had one eye and a bladed helmet'  
Edith shrugged and didn't say another word. In the village, three Mutants broke cover and tried to charge the two women. One was scythed down immediately, failing to notice the orbiting helicopter. Brooke waited until the last second to splatter her opponent's head with her shotgun. Edith was less than confident in her first close encounter with a Super Mutant. The towering giant charged Varr, completely ignoring the burst of fire from her MP5. The brute raised the rebar and concrete club high, just for a .44 round to punch between it's eyes. Edith turned to see Brooke holding the oversized revolver she'd taken from a captive. Once fired, she threw the firearm down and rubbed her wrist.  
'Who's fucking idea was it to make a hand cannon big enough to break your wrist?'  
'Some guys gotta make up for what's lacking in their pants. You found your target yet?'  
The pair finally found the centre of the Mutant village. Brooke paused at the sight of a familiar mutilated body.  
'Jeez. Looks like we interrupted meal time' Varr remarked.  
Edith watched her approach the still form bleeding heavily.  
'She's still alive' Brooke snapped, as if it would mean anything to Edith.  
'So?'  
'Fuck'  
Rumlow grabbed a thick cable tie from her waist, pulling it tight below Rebecca's shoulder.  
'Come on, come on. Stay with me' she begged, further confusing Varr, 'Come in Harris. Harris! Put the bird down as close to the village as you can'  
'Yes ma'am'  
The improvised tourniquet wasn't enough. Brooke felt the heat from the sizeable bonfire, gritted her teeth, and pulled out her knife.  
*  
Thomas finally snapped. He had kept his demeanor calm and relaxed since being brought back to Raven Rock. Before discovering the purpose of his capture, he did what he could to get through to his daughter in the hope they could escape.  
When the Pave Low first landed in the empty hangar, she remained in the helicopter when the others left. She stared ahead in her seat, unmoving.  
'I had no part in their deaths Brooke' he told her.  
Getting no response, he quietly got up and sat down beside her.  
'I gave myself up to you. I didn't want anyone getting hurt. You know this'  
'Nope. Nobody gets hurt, right dad? Just me? I get lied to, left behind, almost killed, abandoned in a hellscape. For what? What the fuck were you doing in the memorial?'  
'I was trying to save lives'  
'Well so far you've got Jonas, Kamala, and Andrew's against you. You're in the red old man'  
The UH-1 landed in the awaiting Rock hangar with a pilot, three soldiers, and a single captive in the hold. Once landed, Thomas, Arnim, and the entire base medical squad were brought to receive the injured arrival. The gurney was wheeled to the Iroquois's open crew door. Brooke watched her father's expression change from indifference to anger in an instant.  
'Rebecca…no. How? Brooke! What have you done?' he roared, to the surprise of the doctors around him as they laid the wounded woman down from the aircraft.  
'I saved her life dad. You wouldn't know a damn thing about that would you'  
The thermal foil sheet was pulled from Barnes' still form, revealing the blackened, ruined stump just below her left shoulder. The only attending medical technician who didn't flinch or recoil at the wound was Arnom Zola. Brooke disembarked from the opposite side of the helicopter and left the hangar without looking back.  
The team of doctors, under Thomas's determined direction, operated and worked for hours to save the woman without even knowing why. In casual sweats, Brooke returned to the operating theatre as they finished. Rebecca's humerus had been damaged enough to warrant complete removal. Colonel Autumn stepped into the observation room and stood level with her.  
'Would you mind explaining to me why a wasteland native has been brought back here, half dead, for us to waste vital resources saving?' he asked.  
'My father has been killing the volunteers. I found an archive folder on the FEV serum and it's effects. The chance of a subject passing away quietly? Very slim'  
'And this helps that how?'  
'She isn't a wastelander. She's from 101 just like-'  
Her words caught for a second.  
'Just like me. He knows her. He will do what he can to keep her alive'  
'What good is a Super Soldier with one arm?'  
'It will be proof that it works. He'll perfect it to avoid killing her. Then we'll have our serum'  
Autumn gazed into the operating room and rubbed his chin.  
'You know, as the first member of our forces recruited from beyond the walls of this base, there was a lot of distrust in you from command. I was willing to stake my reputation on you, and it has paid off'  
'Thank you sir'  
'One last query. This Rebecca Barnes woman, she left Vault 101 with Captain Rogers?'  
'Yes Colonel. I have no idea what separated them prior to my squad finding her, but a gift is a gift'


	6. Olney - 13th May 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A savage battle seen from a different viewpoint

The arrival of the refugee group was taken as a gift to Greta Withers. The thirty seven year old Marshall of the city welcomed a break in the monotony of the last few months. Olney was no stranger to migrants, offering a safe haven and escape from the perpetual violence of the Capital. She saw the group approaching from the gate house.  
'South west? Where do you think they've come from?' asked Walter Knight, the guard sergeant.  
'Hmm. It's a large group. Could have assimilated vagrants on the way. Doesn't matter'  
She pulled a radio handset from her coat.  
'This is Withers. Get Eastwatch Heights unlocked. Got about forty coming in'  
'Marshall! They aren't alone! Mutants!' Knight interrupted.  
'Aw hell. Sound the alarm. Get the gate open but all reserves to the wall. Move it!'  
Her day became strange then. A noise tore through the air, over the city's siren. The motorcycle ripped across the fields ahead of them. She watched it in silence with Knight.   
'Okay who the hell was that? Come on, let's get the 'fugees inside'  
The travelling group were brought into the city, the gates sealed behind them. The city remained locked down, but no Mutant attack came. Withers heard from several of them about the strangers on the bike, though none knew their identities. Only after settling the new arrivals in the vacant apartment building did she try to put the pieces of the day's puzzle together. Not knowing where to start, she simply knocked on the first door in the building. An elderly woman answered. In the room with her were a young couple with a child.  
'Hello, I'm Greta. I'm the Marshall of the City'  
'You let us in? Oh my gosh thank you'  
Greta accepted the warm embrace, tapping the woman on the back and pulling back.  
'I have a few questions, if you could help me out?'  
'Yes. We will do what we can'  
Greta entered the furnished apartment as the three generations sat on the long sofa opposite her.  
'It's just a flying visit, you and your group will be formally welcomed to the city in due course. Earlier today I witnessed a man and woman riding a working bike liase with you. Do you know these people?'  
The young man shook his head.  
'Never seen them before. No'  
'Did they enter the city with you? Are they here?'  
'No, I thought they were part of the city's defenses?' the woman asked.  
'Thats a negative. So they engaged the Mutants pursuing you?'  
'That's true. They came out of nowhere, got us to make a beeline for the gate, then attacked the Mutants'  
Greta covered her mouth with her hand.  
'There were two dozen muties against the two of them? Damn'  
The old woman approached and held her hand lightly.  
'Those young people. They came to save us. They said they would give us time to make it to safety'  
A storm swept over the town that evening, suspending reconnaissance missions. Greta kept the guardsmen on high alert, in case the Mutants took the cover of the lashing rain to launch an assault. Late at night she finally gave in to Knight's insistence that she rest, and returned to her apartment. Withers' quarters was one of the highest in the city. The driving rain hammered on the tall windows that usually gave her sweeping views of the open plains to the south. She slept badly, mind rarely wandering from the two strangers she'd witnessed. Lying down did nothing. She stood at the cold glass wrapped in a blanket, seeing the raindrops catch the light from her lantern.  
She snatched rest intermittently, losing distinction between dreams and thoughts. She woke at around 5am, noticing that the sky had cleared as the sun came up. The initial confusion cleared, then she was up. Greta practically leapt at the window.  
'Fuck me' she cursed.  
She snatched binoculars from the trunk case at the foot of her bed. Far to the south west, a mass of yellow interrupted the grey grass fields. In the midst of a pile of Mutant bodies was a man in a blue uniform.  
'God damn it' she cursed.  
Withers almost fell down the flights of steps from her building, colliding with a young soldier in the barracks on the ground floor. The bleary eyed lad kept a grip on his coffee thermos.  
'Hell. Sorry kid. You on duty?'  
'Yes Marshall I-'  
'Good, come with me'  
They moved to the gatehouse at a fast walk.  
'Haversham!' she yelled from the ground.  
Mick Haversham emerged at the top of the stairwell.  
'Marshall? Trouble with the newcomers?'  
'No. Open the gate and give me two of your guys, doesn't matter who, just quick. Now'  
'Yes Marshall'  
The guardsman and two guardswomen followed her to the site of Steve and Rebecca's last stand, first coming across the motorcycle. The young man stayed behind to investigate the machine as Greta followed the line of bodies. The first one they found was a purple skinned monster.  
'Fucking Nightkin. Haven't seen one of these sneaky bastards in months' the gate guard, Ash Thompson, identified.  
Thompson found a discarded rifle nearby, slinging it over her shoulder.  
They passed more corpses. Withers noticed something, which the other guardswomen said aloud.  
'Most of these guys weren't shot. They look like hammer blows. Who the hell can kill a mutant in close quarters, never mind this many?' Guardswoman Ella Ryscevik asked.  
'Here's our answer. Jesus Christ' Greta cursed.  
Eight mangled bodies surrounded Steve. The rain had washed the blood clean from the pile of corpses, giving the yellow skin a nauseous sheen. She stepped over the ring of Mutants and knelt by Rogers' side.  
'Who the hell are you?'  
His blue, red and white uniform didn't match any she'd seen before.  
'Marshall, look at this' Ella called.  
The redhead pushed a dead mutant over, revealing a coloured disc that matched the man's uniform embedded in it's chest. On moving the corpse, the half buried disc finished bisecting it.  
'Oh what the actual…?' screamed the guardswoman, leaping away from the spreading innards.  
'That shield, I guess it belongs to-'  
A hand on her wrist silenced her.  
'Its mine' Steve uttered.  
Greta looked at him in surprise, but didn't flinch.  
'You're one tough son of a bitch. Got a name?'  
'Steve Rogers...where is Becky?'  
'It's just you out here Rogers. What the hell were you thinking?'  
Steve pushed himself up, gasping and unsteady.  
'You've been unconscious in a rainstorm big fella. Might want to take it steady'  
Rogers did no such thing. The guardsman wheeled the motorcycle over to the group before noticing what had happened.  
'Marshall, I think this thing will still work. Dude, is this yours?'  
'It is. Which way did they go?'  
'Rogers, are you insane?' Greta said, trying to reason.  
'She's not here. They must have taken her. Where did they go?'  
'The nearest big group is in the hills to the west. Not far from Fort Constantine. Don't be stupid'  
'Too late for that. She's all I have'  
He picked up the shield, ignoring the bone deep chill prevalent throughout his body.   
*  
Steve's fingers were numb after the ride. His face stung but it didn't faze him. The motorcycle was left to fall over near the iron stakes around the camp. From the rifle holster he pulled the sledgehammer. No sound came from the motley collection of red and silver shacks on the hilltop. He pressed on, driven only by hope that he'd find her tied up in one of the buildings. He stepped around several mutant bodies in the gaps between buildings.  
'Who killed you? Did the STRIKE team find her?'  
Near the centre of the village he heard voices. They were human.  
'Yeah this place will be great. We can hit travellers coming from Constantine, Olney, the Pitt road. It's perfect'  
Rogers moved out, seeing the five raiders without catching their attention. The first throw of the shield knocked one down. He caught it on the rebound and closed on them. In their midst he was too close for them to shoot, or simply caught the bullets on the shield. Within fifteen seconds the group were dead.  
'So you killed the stragglers huh?'  
He wandered around the fire. The ground was still dry, having escaped the storm from the night before. It left a grim mark though. Next to the wide brazier was a red stain in the dirt.  
'No. No can't be'  
Drips of blood left a trail to the fire.  
'No please God no!'  
He gazed into the fire pit. It wasn't just wood in there. In the twists of grey ash and burnt wood were three charred bodies. All three were intact. A smaller form had a familiar shape on its left wrist. A Pipboy. It was burnt through but there was no mistaking it. He threw up. Bile splashed his boots from the hard packed earth. No thoughts could penetrate the heavy nothingness in his mind. His eyes couldn't focus. The sounds of the wind and birds were a distant echo. In a fugue state Steve dragged his feet back to the motorcycle. Momentarily he forgot that he didn't have a helmet. The backup radio receiver slipped out of his numb hands repeatedly before he could contact SWORD.  
'This is Coulson, go ahead'  
Rogers stood still with the device to his face. The words wouldn't come.  
'Come in. Barnes? Rogers? That you?'  
Still nothing.  
'You didn't report in from Olney. Trouble-'  
'It's Steve. I…'  
He heard the muffled sounds on the other side of the connection.  
'Steve? Buddy it's Nat. Tell us where you are and we'll send a STRIKE team to your position'  
'Its not. I don't need backup'  
'Okay, what happened? Where are you two?'  
'It's just me'  
'Rogers?'  
He grimaced. Images raced through his mind faster than he could process. The sound of Rebecca's screams as he was piled on filled his head, punctuated by the pounding of his heart.  
'Rebecca… she'  
He choked, coughed, then composed himself.  
'Sergeant Barnes is KIA'  
'Oh God'


	7. Rivet City - 4th July 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khan awakes.

Samantha neither knew of or cared about the holiday that had the city in high spirits. What brought her about was Tony Stark's invitation. Three days previous, he had continued his usual hobby of intruding on the airwaves of Ranger headquarters. Samantha was in the common area with the men and women of Delta Squad. They were one of two teams currently off duty. The other was Alpha but they were resting following a night operation. Jessica Watts, Delta's leader, sat back to back on a long sofa with Samantha reading a book as the latter listened to music. Reilly ducked into the open room, unaware that her girlfriend was oblivious to everything because of her headphones.  
'Sam? Sammy? Samantha…?'  
Watts, perturbed at the interruption, sent a probing hand behind her head. She unintentionally slapped Samantha on the cheek before hooking the cable and freeing the woman's ears.  
'The fuck do you want Jessica?' Sam said, chuckling.  
'Commander wants you' she said flatly.  
'Oh, sorry'  
Reilly leaned against the corridor wall when Samantha joined her.  
'So I got a call. Something big'  
'Oooh serious work? How many squads?'  
'This is high priority. Just the two of us, but I'm going to need vital help from you Sammy'  
'Whatever you need, I'll do it'  
'Okay I'll kinda drop the serious thing because the truth is embarrassing as shit'  
Reilly pursed her lips and slapped both hands together.  
'Tony Stark has invited us to a party. It's on the 4th. Independence Day'  
She paused after, implying there was gravity to the revelation. Samantha gasped in mockery and looked at the floor.  
'Oh damn Red. I mean...I'm not much of a partygoer, you know?'  
'Very funny. No, the issue is the dress code. He wants it fancy. Guys in suits and girls in dresses. My request to you Sam is to take me to that clothes store in Rivet and…' she paused, inhaled through her teeth, and opened both palms, 'help me choose what to wear'  
'Baby I would love to. Want to leave in fifteen minutes?'  
'Sure, I'll get my armor on. Bravo team said Seward's a hotter zone than usual so we gotta stay sharp'  
'Full contact girl's shopping trip. I love it' Samantha laughed.  
*  
The two women ventured south through Seward Square at dawn. The location of the base meant they only had to cross a few streets before descending into DC's equally lethal metro tunnel network. Packs of feral ghouls nested in the dark damp tunnels to escape harmful daylight. As they walked down the concrete steps to the gated concourse, Sam had a thought.  
'There' gotta be a way of carrying you with my wings. I've seen that they used to do like tandem skydiving in the old world?'  
'Skydiving?'  
'Oh it's where people jumped from way up in planes or helicopters for fun. I read about it in preparation for flying'  
'Tell you what, next week we'll get a boat over to Reagan airport and see if we can find something'  
*  
The repeated journey to the city on the morning of the 4th was quicker and completely nonviolent for the pair. They still carried weapons openly and wore their armor, with Reilly's rucksack holding casual clothes for the day and their chosen garb for the party. The guardsman at the end of the bridge had a message for them when they arrived. Samantha had been wondering why the young man was looking at them intently as they crossed.  
'Oh, good morning. Would you be Reilly Tiernan and Samantha Wilson?'  
'Dead to rights kid. What's up?' Wilson replied.  
'You have a hotel room reserved for you up in the Wetherly, arranged and paid for by Tony Stark'  
Reilly’s cheeks flushed and Samantha laughed, looking at the floor.  
'And here we were scraping caps together in the city hotel. Damn that man. Okay thanks kid'  
'Your welcome ladies, enjoy your stay in Rivet City'  
Vera Wetherly was the twenty four year old proprietor of her family's eponymous hotel. The pretty blonde was filling out inventory forms on her computer when the two armed and armored women arrived at the hotel front desk.  
'Good morning. I'm sorry but all our rooms for tonight are booked. There's a party in the city or something' she said without looking up.  
'We know. One of those rooms is ours V' Reilly replied.  
'Oh gosh I'm sorry! In the corner of my eye I took you for mercenaries. I mean, you are but you know' she fretted, 'Mr Stark requested the finest room we have. Let me take you to the Arlington View Suite'  
Wetherly stood up, a set of two long bit keys jangling around her finger. As she passed the women, Samantha raised her eyebrows at Reilly and mouthed the name of the room. The suite was at the top of the tower, known as the island, one floor below the command bridge where the city council convened. Samantha appreciated the quiet in the ship section, far from the clamour of the market, bars, and other businesses. Behind the heavy bulkhead door, the name of the room became clear. Three inch thick toughened glass covered the west facing wall from floor to ceiling.  
'So you can see the length of the deck, the Potomac promenade past the Navy Yard. You're lucky it's a clear day. Arlington Cemetery is visible'  
Vera let them take in the vista before showing the rest of the room.  
'Queen sized bed, en suite bathroom with twenty four hour hot shower and bath, got a dresser out here, plus a fridge which kind of works. The wine that Stark left for you will still be cold. Anything else you need, the phone by the door has a direct line to the front desk'  
'This is amazing Vera, thank you' said Reilly.  
'You're very welcome'  
Samantha found it liberating to let her wingsuit and harness drop heavily to the floor, guns and all. Before Reilly put her rifle down from her back, Wilson seized her lightly.  
'Wait, slow up soldier girl. Before you put that glorious lead spitter down, let's make a pact'  
'Umm okay'  
Samantha lightly held her partner's fingers over the weapon.  
'Twenty four hours Red. Our guns stay on the dresser, armor on the hooks. Jess has command at the base. Whatever comes up, she'll handle it. For one day, it's just Reilly and Samantha, two ordinary, high class gals here to cut loose and party. Deal?'  
Reilly took a step back, a smile spreading across her face. With her eyes locked on Samantha, she unhooked the heavy left pauldron that bore the Rangers' sigil and threw it down.  
'God I fucking love you Red'  
'Can Samantha Wilson make her way to the medical center. Samantha Wilson'  
Both women looked in the direction of the door, beyond which the intercom message addressing her came. They then looked at each other. Reilly tipped her head and smiled.  
‘That’s probably the fallen angel. I’ll get our bags unpacked here, you go see if the Doc has any news’  
In the hallway approaching the medical centre, Samantha’s stomach let out an audible growl.  
‘Yeah, shut up I’ll find something’  
The vending machine in the waiting lounge was her salvation. The caps she saved on the hotel room gave her a wealth of snacks she could barely carry.  
‘Preston? Hey buddy, you got spies in the ship or something? I’ve only been here ten minutes’  
The older man put down the pen and gazed up at the woman peering into his office.  
‘Oh, good day Samantha. John Harkness told me you were expected for Stark’s party. When the sentry welcomed you to the city, your arrival was relayed to me. Your friend has woken up'  
Samantha dropped the bag of potato chips. Trying to pick them up resulted in everything in her hands falling to the ground.  
'Fuck'  
'She is talking, is very friendly, but otherwise confused about her surroundings and identity'  
'That's good I guess'  
'Could you give her ten minutes of your day? Recovery is greatly helped by a friendly face'  
Samantha gathered the dropped snacks back into the bag and agreed.  
'Fine, I'll bite. This is a favour from me to you Preston'  
The doctor nodded as Wilson half stumbled past him with her collection of junk food. Kamala was sat up on the hospital bed with wet hair and fresh green scrubs. She flicked through a magazine that Preston had given her to check her faculties. Sam's entry was met with a warm smile.  
'Good morning!' she beamed.  
'Oh hi there. You hungry?'  
'I wouldn't mind something to eat. I feel like I've been asleep forever'  
'You have been. A long time I mean. I'm Samantha Wilson by the way. Call me Sam'  
'I'm Kamala Khan… I think'  
'You think?' Sam echoed, passing her a packet of gummy bears.  
'Yeah I mean, the name rings a bell in my head. I guess that's me'  
'Right. That's good. So your memory is a bit foggy'  
'Yup. The nice old doctor said I have some kind of amnesia. He said little triggers could restore my memories but I don't know what those are'  
'Oh. Well we could have a look at the clothes you were wearing when we brought you in?'  
'You brought me here? This is Rivet City right?'  
'Yes, the big old rusty ship itself. A friend and I brought you here from South Mason where we found you'  
'South Mason. Something happened to me there. I know something happened, just not what it was'  
'You had an accident. You fell a long way and landed in floodwater. I'm amazed you weren't injured. Except for well, you know'  
'Hey I got to sleep for a month. Every girl's dream right?' Kamala laughed, 'Is that my jacket?'  
She pointed at the heavy garment hanging on the wall.  
'Yeah, though all your stuff is over here I think. Preston had your clothes deep cleaned. Said there was some strange chemical all over everything'  
'Hmm. Better not put those back on then. Is there somewhere I could get new clothes here?'  
'Sure, market's further down the ship, I could grab you something in a second'  
'You're very kind Sam. Are we, were we friends before my accident?' Kamala asked.  
Samantha's breath caught for a moment before she answered.  
'No, before the events in South Mason I'd never seen you before'  
'That's a shame. What other things did I have on me?'  
Sam pulled open the drawer. There were various basic toolkits, magazines for unknown weapons, a weighty sack of caps, and a small book in a ziploc bag.  
'That book. I recognise it'  
Sam walked over and handed the book still in the bag, noticing the basic font word on the plain cover.  
'A Quran. This is mine! My gosh I'm going to sound so stupid. I'm a Muslim. Not the best, but still one. Wait, do you have the time Sam?'  
'Yeah just after eight am'  
'Pardon me, but I have a strange request. It's just I've never done this alone before. Could you pray with me?'  
'Wouldn't be awkward for a Christian raised lesbian to pray with you?'  
'We are all children of the same God, no matter what name we give him. It would mean a lot to me' Kamala said, smiling.  
'Okay, sure, what do you need?'  
'I very much doubt I had a janamaz in my jacket, so could you find me a towel and a markerpen? Oh and a navigational compass. Need to know which way is east'  
'Sure thing, give me two seconds'  
'Thank you Samantha'  
She found the first two items quickly in Preston's office, with the Doctor's help. For the directional information, she produced her goggles after handing the light grey towel to Kamala. Turning them on instantly gave her navigational information. The gadget was returned to her pocket.  
'East is that way' she said, pointing.  
'Oh you're good' Khan praised, having not seen the red tinted goggles, 'Are you a pilot?'  
'I am. Kind of. I'll explain later'  
'I think I want to be a pilot too. Maybe. Okay, I'm in a hospital so this room is clean. Just had my first shower in a long time. You don't have to be one hundred percent wudu, but let's wash our hands together if that's okay?'  
Samantha nodded.  
She watched Kamala get up, helping her as she was still unsteady on her feet, then lay the towel in the right direction. A rough arrow had been drawn using the pen. After cleaning their hands at a basin, the two women stood parallel, Sam watching Kamala's actions.  
'You don't have to say what I say if you don't want to. Just the movements'  
Samantha nodded, then listened to Kamala recite al-fatiha. They then knelt together. After the first few repetitions of Allahu Akhbar between bowing down, Samantha said it with her. After the tenth, Kamala hugged her deeply.  
'Thank you. You have done a lot for a total stranger and I am thankful'  
'Oh. Uh no problem chick. What were we saying there anyway?'  
'God is good. That's it I know. Bit more basic than some Christian prayers but hey, it all works'  
Samantha shrugged and nodded, smiling.  
'Anyway I have kept you long enough Samantha Wilson. I'm sure you have plenty to get on with today. I will find my own way to market to get some better clothing'  
'You sure? My better half is probably still gazing at the city from our hotel room'  
'She is a lucky woman to have you. Go to her. I will see you around, friend'  
Samantha left the medical center feeling strangely good about the whole experience. Only on the ascent to the hotel room at the top of the tower did she click that Stark may not be so friendly if he were to engage with Kamala.  
Back in the hotel room, Samantha filled Reilly in on the encounter with Kamala, then rooted through her gear to find her radio receiver. After repairing it, Stark installed a direct link to JARVIS, who rerouted her call to Tony himself.  
'Stark? It’s Sam How are the party preparations going?'  
'Swimmingly Miss Wilson, enjoying the accomodation?' the chipper voice replied.  
'It’s pretty damn swell. Thanks buddy. Listen, I checked in on our fallen friend just now. She's woken up'  
'Did the little bird sing?'  
'Kind of. She's called Kamala Khan, follows Islam and that's it. Preston confirms she has retrograde amnesia. She doesn't know shit'  
'That is a bit of a bummer. Maybe if I-'  
'Please, for my sake don't go trying to shake the girl down Tony. Just don't. It won't do her any good. Just accept she's a dead end and keep an eye on the skies. Whoever flew that bird will reappear and we will find your buddy Rumlow. Got it?'  
'Yeah. I swear it’  
At seven in the evening, Samantha saw Reilly act in a way she'd never seen before. The woman had been a fearless fighter and leader for years. Only now did she show something resembling fear. They had spent the day wandering the hallways of the city arm in arm. It felt good for them to be able to forget work for once.  
Reilly stood in her vest and underwear, staring down the straight leg pants, white blouse, and embroidered jacket laid out on the bed.  
'You can't put it on just by looking at it' Samantha remarked.  
She sat on the other side in the sequined yellow dress.  
'It's just not me baby. I've been in green fatigues since I left Canterbury. You grew up in the glitz of Tenpenny'  
'And I hated it, you know that. It does feel good to pretend to be something else, only if for a night'  
'Fine. I'll do it. Come help me though. It will be hot'  
Reilly pulled the pants on and drew the shirt around her shoulders.  
'Button me up baby'  
Samantha obliged, gazing into the woman's eyes as she did so. The jacket and heeled boots completed the ensemble, keeping her at level height with Sam in her stiletto's.  
'You look stunning Red. You're gonna slay them at the party, believe me'  
'You think?'  
'One hundred percent. Come on, let me show you'  
Reilly was led by the hand into view of the dresser's tall mirror.  
'What did I tell you? You're gonna have all eyes on you'  
'That sounds like a nightmare'  
'Good point. By the time we get there, you won't give a shit. Let's get things started right here, right now'  
Sam flicked on the radio, grabbed Reilly by the hand, and dance walked her into the open floor at the foot of the bed. Rock music filled the room. Before long, the Merc leader was swaying side to side with her eyes closed.  
'There you go, you got it!' Sam praised.  
She pulled the cool bottle of wine, then looked around for glasses as Reilly continued to dance.  
'Guess it's straight from the bottle' she sighed.  
'Is there just one?'  
'Nope, two. You going hardcore?'  
'Fuck yeah Sammy. Let's do this'  
After the first few sips of the fruity red, Reilly felt a fuzzy warmth in her head. After and hour and half the bottle gone, she felt it miraculous that none was spilled on her shirt.  
'Should we go to the party?' Sam asked as eight thirty ticked by.  
'Hell yeah. I'm ready'  
*  
The short bridge to the Bow had been modified since Samantha's last visit. It was now enclosed in a metal frame with glass panels. Through the streaking raindrops she looked south to Fort Stanton on the hill above Anacostia. Reilly's hands entwined with hers tightened as she struggled to balance due to the heels and alcohol.


	8. Rivet City Med Centre - 6th July 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stark shocks the ship city.

The green scrubs and flip flops didn't bother her. The top had large enough pockets for Kamala's meagre possessions. She didn't think beyond finding clothes and getting a feel for the ship city. Leaving her recovery room, she followed a sign to Dr Preston's office. The man that had been kind to her politely asked his current consultation to give him a moment when he spied her at the door.  
'Young Miss? It's a delight to see you up and around. How do you feel?'  
'I feel fine physically. Better mentally thanks to Samantha's generosity. What was the name of the man who brought me here?'  
'Oh Stark? Tony Stark. He lives in the city, unlike Miss Wilson. There's a buzz about him today. Apparently he has a surprise for the city'  
'That sounds ominous'  
'It is, a little. He is known for selling guns up until the beginning of this year. Now he seems to be up to a multitude of strange things. I mentioned the strange suit of armor he wore when he carried you?'  
'You did. He sounds like quite the character. Sorry I won't keep you Doctor. Could you give me a rough idea of what these caps could get me?' she said opening the bag.  
'You have a lot of gold caps there. My goodness I have never seen so many. Well first and foremost you should get some clothes. The city hotel is reasonable, buy a room for a few nights and see if you can find a job or something'  
'Thank you. One last thing, can you direct me to the market?'  
The owner of the first clothing outlet she found was taken aback by Khan's appearance. Quint Bannon prided himself on being a vendor of the finest quality clothing at a premium. His clientele often came from as far as Tenpenny Tower. The young woman, he guessed no older than 20, in the loose green fit caught his eye as soon as she walked in. Kamala was oblivious to his unsubtle glare as she walked the aisles and felt various fabrics between her fingers. A long sleeved jumper distracted her long enough for another customer to bump into her.  
'Ah damn. Sorry ma'am are you alright?' Rhodes said, taking her hand.  
'Yes, sorry I’m still a bit unsteady on my feet’  
She noticed him looking a moment too long at her clothes.  
'Hey you're the one that's been laid up in the Med Centre, right'  
'Yes, that's me. Didn't realise I was famous around here'  
'The city is pretty dull, people gotta talk about something. I'm James, James Rhodes'  
Kamala put a hand on her chest and nodded lightly.  
'Kamala Khan. Nice to meet you'  
'So you're the gal that Stark brought in?'  
'Again, guilty. Where is Mr Stark? I have given my thanks to Samantha Wilson but have yet to extend my gratitude to him for helping me'  
'Tell you what, there's a big party going down in the Bow later tonight. Everyone's getting dressed all fancy. There'll be food, drink and dancing. He's hosting. You should come along'  
'Oh are you sure? I'm a stranger here, surely I'd be intruding?'  
'You know Sam and you know me? That's reason enough right?'  
Kamala nodded and smiled.  
'Right. Thank you James. I will see you this evening'  
She bought two sets of clothes. One consisted of a t-shirt, zip up hoodie and jeans. For the party she solicited Quint's help, which he begrudgingly gave. Kamala was pleasantly oblivious to his passive aggressive attitude. He rang up her purchases on the till, fully expecting to put the items back when she comes up short.  
'That will be ninety six caps' he said, flatly.  
'Cool, keep the change Sir'  
She pulled five gold caps from her pocket, much to his surprise. His demeanor changed. The man was all smiles as he folded the clothing and placed it in a paper bag.  
'Have a wonderful day madam'  
Kamala returned to the market just after 5pm. She had rented use of a room in the city hotel for a week. It lacked the comfort and frills of Wetherly's establishment, but was a secure room to base herself for the time being. Clad in her fresh jeans and hoodie, she wandered casually over to the hair salon run by Eliza Harkness. The younger sibling of the RCSF chief got up from reading a magazine in the vacant seat when her new client arrived.  
'Good evening! How can I help you?'  
'Oh, uh. Well I've got this party thing tonight. I don't know any terms but was wondering if you could make my hair look kinda...nice?' Kamala asked, awkwardly gesturing with her hands.  
'Sure, take a seat'  
She sat in the chair, with her arms in the rests, facing the mirrored wall. To begin, Eliza had her lean forward into the curved bowl to thoroughly wash her hair.  
'You've cleaned it recently' the stylist perceived.  
'Yeah, but just whatever soap was available in the med centre'  
'Well get a load of what I've got. I paid some scavenger gal some serious caps to retrieve some stuff from the hotels in the city'  
Eliza pulled several small fragranced bottles from the cabinet, placing them alongside the basin before Kamala. She ran the water from the showerhead until it was warm.  
'Okay, you ready? What's your name stranger? I recognise when someone is new to the city'  
Kamala leant forward, letting Eliza take control. With warm water sweeping over her she felt an unusual calm.  
'I'm...Kamala Khan. call me Kamala. If you want, that is. I only got here today'  
'Oh wow. A newcomer. You've come a long way?'  
'Mason District. Other side of the Potomac'  
The all convering warm water washed over her, streaking round to her nose. For a split second it was cold, sucking, dragging her in. The feeling pulled her back to the floodwaters of Mason Park. Every colour danced across her eyes. In the midst of it, a dark face appeared, black as the abyss. Terrified, she pulled away, backing out from the curved bowl.  
'Are you okay Lady Khan?' Eliza asked, holding the showerhead clear from the distressed stranger.  
'Yes. Sorry' Kamala replied, 'Must have dropped off for a moment. You know how it is with those strange twitches'  
'Yes I have had that before. You okay to…?'  
'Yes, carry on, sorry for spooking you'  
*  
The party in the bow was larger than she expected. Immediately stepping into the room, Kamala was surrounded by strangers. The forward hangar was smaller than the one that held the market. Stark had used spotlights to keep his machinery and fabricators in the dark. Several waiting staff moved among the hundred or so guests, dispensing drinks or finger foods from silver trays. Kamala politely declined an offered flute of champagne, taking instead a glass of orange juice from a table at the side of the room. As soon as she turned around, she spied a man and woman conversing nearby. Natalya and Clint noticed the stranger's cautious approach.  
'Hi, I'm Kamala'  
Romanov looked her up and down slowly, at the olive from her martini, then nodded.  
'Nat Romanov. This is Clint Barton'  
'Cool. Cool. Sorry, everyone else is in a big group and I don't really know anyone so…'  
Kamala trailed off, raising both palms.  
'Its fine kid. Not everyone is the party type. You know Stark?' Barton asked her.  
'No. Well kind of. I had an accident and he brought me here. I owe my life to him and Sam Wilson'  
Clint raised his eyebrows at the mention of Wilson, as Natalya replied.  
'Wow. Millionaire playboy arms dealer saves young woman. How'd that come about?'  
'I'm not entirely sure. I-'  
'Sorry, don't mean to interrupt. You know Sam Wilson too?' Barton asked.  
'Yes, she found me in South Mason. Is she here tonight?'  
Her question was answered by an inebriated yell from over her shoulder.  
'Hey arrow boy!'  
Kamala turned to see Samantha and Reilly cross the room to them. The former didn't initially recognise Khan, dressed and made up as she was. Clint smiled warmly at the newcomers.  
'Good to see you again Samantha. I see you took my advice with regards to-'  
'Hell yeah I did'  
She took Reilly by surprise, sweeping the woman into her arms and kissing her.  
'Are these SWORD agents too Barton? Did you request they only hire attractive women?' Sam said, pointing at Natalya and Kamala.  
'SWORD? Sorry I don't know who they are' Khan replied.  
It was only when she spoke that Sam recognised her.  
'Holy shit Kamala? What are you doing here?'  
She enthusiastically embraced the surprised girl, who paused before reciprocating the affection.  
'Look at you! That dress, those heels. God I love this cardigan' Wilson fawned.  
'Thank you. It is nice to see you again. This is your other half I presume?'  
'Reilly Tiernan' the merc said with a nod, 'You must be Stark's fallen angel'  
'Yes, that's me. Hopefully one day I can be known for more than just falling from the sky'  
The music in the room was turned down, coupled with remote operated lights moving to the round plinth. Stark's suit assembly device was now in the centre of the room, with a single microphone stand on it. The sound of a spoon clinking on a wine glass brought everyone's attention to Tony, who emerged from the crowd. Kamala moved closer with the people she knew. As they made their way to the front, Sam repeated her question from earlier.  
'I wanted to see Stark. I have thanked you for saving me, it's only fair to do the same for him'  
Tony stood resplendent in his four piece suit, clutching the mic until the assembled crowd had his full attention.  
'Good evening ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming on what has been a magnificent, sunny 4th of July.  
I wanna thank Gary Stone from the Galley and Mary Hall from the Muddy Rudder for the catering, you've done amazing. Their staff too, for serving. Give it up for them'  
He joined the crowd in their polite applause, punctuated by Samantha's cheers.  
'So this day commemorates the founding and making of this country. Gotta say it kind of got unmade two hundred years ago.  
But its not a place, this nation. It's the people. People that want to fight to make things better. People that look at the ashes and see hope. It's so easy to just want to scratch a living, to just make it alone. To do more, and want to help people. That's a principle that the United States was founded on.  
I want to tell you the tale of one person in particular. One I consider to embody the soul of our nation'  
Kamala was transfixed by the man. For her, there was nobody else in the room.  
'This woman was Rebecca Barnes. She came out of Vault 101 at the end of last year with just the clothes on her back. You may recall someone else who did the same, Steve Rogers, or as you know him, Captain America'  
The darkness flashed in Kamala's head a second time. She knew the name Rogers. It was significant but she didn't know why. Natalya spotted her discomfort.  
'Hey kid, you okay?' she whispered with a hand on Khan's shoulder. Kamala nodded and smiled weakly.  
'The reality was, they had to leave that bunker after a decision she made to save his life. She gave up a life of safety and security for her friend.  
It was shortly after that I made a bad decision. One that I will carry with me for the rest of my days. By all rights, I didn't deserve to be rescued from imprisonment in Fort Bannister. It was my penance for getting two good men killed'  
Samantha's fingers found Reilly's, entwining them when she saw Stark looking at them.  
'Once again Rebecca, by then Sergeant Barnes of Germantown, didn't hesitate to help someone in peril. Her contribution in the attack on Bannister was vital. For her selflessness she was banished from the city of soldiers. That operation was just as much the making of Sergeant Barnes as a great woman and a stellar soldier.  
More recently she found a new place with Captain Rogers by her side, watching eachother's backs. They fought for SWORD, striking at evil wherever it raised it's ugly head. This woman, once an outcast from a bunker, was a fully fledged hero. She never hesitated to stand between the helpless and those that prey on them.  
A month ago, she chose to lay down her life when a travellers caravan was attacked just outside Olney. Her and Rogers. Two of them against a massive horde of Mutants. Thanks to their actions, the lives of innocents were saved.  
I hold Rebecca Barnes in such high regard. I didn't want her story to be a foot note in what is likely to be Captain America's story. She didn't have the advantage of being a damn supersoldier, yet her feats are just as, if not more worthy of praise and commemoration'  
He pulled the wireless microphone from the stand, and took a filled glass from an attending waiter.  
'To Rebecca Barnes. The heart and soul of America'  
The assembled crowd raised their drinks as one and spoke her name. Kamala mouthed the words silently, then finished the juice in her glass. She watched Stark finish the full glass of white wine, then continue.  
'I know some of you here already know about my little personal project. A friend in need had me roll it out a little early a couple weeks back'  
Samantha snorted when Tony winked at her.  
'I felt compelled to change my ways after my imprisonment and rescue. I began to see the pain and terror that the hardware I made and sold did to innocents everywhere. I have a mission now. There are thousands of rifles, missiles, and machine guns in the hands of miscreants that I put there. It's time to start repossessing. JARVIS, give me some ACDC'  
He snapped his fingers as rock music played through the various amplifiers. Stark handed the microphone to James Rhodes and stood in the centre of the plinth. Various bustle and hushed gossip evaporated when the mechanical spider whirred into life. Samantha watched with a smug smile, knowing she'd seen it all before. Only, she hadn't. The previously bare silver metal parts were now a mixture of red and gold. It made sense to her, for his suit of armor to only become more ostentatious. In twenty seconds Stark was completely encased. The spotlights on him dimmed, revealing the glow from the circular arc in his chest, and the stern looking rectangular eyes.  
'Ladies and gentlemen...I am Iron Man'  
There were gasps and confused scattered applause. Kamala noticed that Clint and Natalya had vanished. Tony still wasn't done. He walked effortlessly to the starboard side wall of the ship, followed by the spotlights.  
'Got one last surprise for you all tonight, something else that simply would not have come about without my road to Damascus moment. See this in my chest? This bright spark that keeps me alive? I wanted to find a way to bring life to others with it. JARVIS, pull it up'  
A section of the hangar floor opened in the unlit area to his right. Brilliant blue light spilled through the revealed cavity, followed by the rising, donut shaped arc reactor.  
'The future of Rivet City's power supply is right here. Sustained, clean energy guaranteed for the next thousand years. No more reliance on scavenging fusion cores and risking lives. I took the liberty of electrifying the shore town as a part of a private venture renovation of the shanty. There should not be people living in that state this close to this city'  
This time the applause was thunderous.  
'So the night is young. We are all young. Eat drink dance. Enjoy the rest of the party. Thank you all'  
As the revelry resumed, Kamala moved through the dispersing throng and approached Stark himself. Tony was still in his armor, with the helmet retracted. He was talking to Rivet City council members John Harkness and Lana Danvers. He recognised Khan immediately, rounding off the chatter with the city leaders. Stark leaned against the wall with his drink and beckoned her over.  
'Tony Stark. I heard what you did for me and wanted to thank you in person'  
'Don't sweat it kid. You seemed pretty blessed to begin with. Got your memory jogged at all about the situation up to when you fell to earth?'  
'That's still a mystery to me Stark'  
'Sorry to hear that. Must be frustrating'  
'Thank you. I'm sorry about Sergeant Barnes. She sounded like a formidable woman'  
'That she was. We've lost a light in the darkness, truly'  
'Sorry to be forward, but mention of Captain Rogers seemed to get gears turning in my head. Do you know where he is'  
'Can't help you there kid. He took the death of Rebecca hella badly. He's AWOL from SWORD officially. Still whispers of a big guy rocking up and trashing slavers, mutants, and raiders the length of the Capital Wasteland though. He just doesn't act under a flag any more it seems'  
'That poor guy. I have a guy feeling that he may hold the key to my past. There were two SWORD agents here earlier, did you meet them?'  
'Were they the ones that high tailed it out of here when I unveiled the mark three?'  
'Yes. Natalya and Clint'  
'Then no I didn't. Looks like they were on an observe and report. What's next on your list kid? What's the next move?'  
'I have to retrace my steps. I need to go back to South Mason'  
On the other side of the room, Samantha had switched to soft drinks at Reilly's insistence. Gradually, the room stopped spinning for both of them. It brought a clarity and clear vision that both would momentarily regret. Their stances at the serving bar was between relaxed and desperately holding on. Sam would infrequently grip the wooden top tightly as her legs threatened to give way. It was when she joined Reilly in scanning the room did they notice one person. The woman wore a knee length red dress off one shoulder. Her short black hair and tattoos set off alarms in Samantha's head. She opened her mouth but the curses came from Reilly.  
'Oh fuck. I know her'  
Sam's breath caught for a second.  
'You do?'  
The pair looked at eachother, giving time for the woman to approach them.  
'Well well well. If it isn't my two favourite dykes' Sydney exclaimed, grinning.  
A conversation happened between Sam and Reilly without a single word being said. Sydney, still very much in command of her senses, chuckled lightly at her own realisation.  
'Sydney. Uh. Hi, how have you been?' Reilly stuttered.  
'Keeping busy. Keeping alive. I'm not all for this high class party stuff, but dad insisted I attend in his stead and hey! Free booze! You two love birds getting on?'  
'Wonderful. Yes. Look Sydney this doesn't have to get weird' Reilly asserted.  
'It wasn't weird until you said that!' Samantha retorted, rolling her head back and dropping her arms.  
Reilly shot her a look, making her splutter and laugh. Sydney joined in. The raucousness caught the attention of the attendant on the bar behind them.  
'Everything alright here ladies?  
Sydney stepped over, watched by Reilly and Sam. She slapped both hands on on the bar.  
'Everything is swell Buddy. You're at the first inaugural Queer Girl's of DC meeting. Three double vodkas with an energy drink chaser'  
'Oh Jesus Fucking Christ' Sam cursed.  
The three women downing the powerful mixture was the last certain memory of the night that any of them had.


	9. Evergreen Mills - 12th July 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve exhibits poor coping strategies

Natalya felt like she was in a bubble, one that could burst at any moment. Her filthy clothes, rusted spiked armor, and illusionary facepaint got her through the guardpost at the entrance to the canyon. When the narrow trainline opened out into the massive foundry and rail Depot, she found herself in the midst of hundreds of raiders. The intel was off, she told herself during the briefing with Coulson. There was no way Evergreen Mills had grown this big. The hundreds of rail cars were used for everything from a surgeon's chop shop, gunsmiths, and homes for families. In the centre of the parking lot out front of the foundry was her target. The vehicles had been cleared long ago, replaced by a circular fighting arena. Raised viewing platforms were erected over a series of prefab shacks to make the improvised stadium. By the deafening cheer that went up as Natalya approached, she assumed a fight had just concluded. Crowds filtered out of the arena, donned in armor from factions the length and breadth of the Capital. Some had uniforms unfamiliar to Romanov. On any other assignment she would take note and ascertain whether they were new gangs or from beyond the region.  
She caught the attention of a woman wearing a horned ram's skull on her helmet.  
'Who was today's winner?' Nat growled.  
'The Nomad again. That guys so good it's not even that fucking fun no more' came the disgruntled reply.  
This is my best shot, Natalya thought to herself. She orbited the arena until she found it, a section of the building with the name of the victorious fighter daubed in black paint on the wall. She knocked on the door. Raucous sound from within told her there was somebody home, but no answer came. She knocked again. Still nothing. Fed up, she pushed inside. The double sized structure was once used as a temporary office for a construction site. Now it was a nest of debauchery. Dreamlike electronic music and aromatic smoke filled the air in the room. In the center of the cluttered open space lay a bare chested man on a red linen bed. Natalya paid no heed to the two naked women entwined with him. One of them, a tattooed and pierced brunette named Claire, noticed her.  
'Hey honey, you come to join us?' she growled.  
Her words brought the attention of the beared man to the new arrival, have previously been distracted by the raven haired Sasha on his left.  
'No, I'm here to see the big guy. Alone' Romanov declared.  
Steve didn't react at first, just looked lazily at her.  
'You gotta wait your turn. Everyone wants a piece of the champ' Sasha said, pulling a mock scowl as she crawled to the foot of the bed, 'You could spend an afternoon with me though. I could be your type'  
Natalya shook her head, ignoring the proposition. Finally Steve moved.  
'Claire, Sasha, take a moment, go get some water. I'll be done in a few minutes'  
The women scowled at Nat, reluctantly throwing on loose robes and moving to the covered deck area behind the structure. They both lit up cigarettes and reclined on the torn padded seats.  
Natalya briskly closed the door on them, then rounded on the still half dressed Steve.  
'It took me a while to find you Rogers' she said, sitting on the foot of the bed, 'How have you been?'  
He raised both hands and looked around. In the better light she noticed his arms were stained red.  
'You tell me Romanov'  
She didn't answer, only asking differently.  
'So you're an attraction now? A gladiator for the dregs of Evergreen Mills?'  
'I was an attraction before' he spat, ''Captain America' the big damn hero of the capital. At least now I decide who I fight, not when the director snaps his fingers'  
'Its a bit unfair isn't it? You against these mere mortal chumps? How many are dead because of you?'  
'None'  
'What?'  
'I'm not a mindless killing machine. I fight people and I win'  
'What's all over your arms then?'  
Steve scoffed, looking at both limbs.  
'It's war paint. Do you think those two women would be where they were with me covered in blood?'  
'They're raider wenches. Wouldn't put it past them'  
He laughed, briefly, then returned to his previous melancholy. Finally getting up, Steve pulled two beers from a silver bucket of half-melted ice. Natalya accepted the drink.  
'What are you doing here Nat?' he asked, sitting once again on the mound of blankets and pillows.  
'Steve...after Olney, your call. I went up there. I spoke to Marshall Withers'  
'Who?'  
'She found you, the day after the battle'  
'I remember her. Never got the name'  
'You killed more mutants yourself than anyone else probably ever has'  
'Are you here to give me a medal?'  
'No. I just mean. You and Rebecca knew what you were getting in for when you engaged them'  
She saw him blink at the mention of her name.  
'I told her to go to the city. I told her to get to safety'  
'In her shoes, would you have done the same Rogers?'  
He snorted, covered his mouth with his hand and closed his eyes.  
'It doesn't matter now, but in all honesty? I don't know if she tried to run. Those purple mutants with stealth devices could have chased her down just to make me give up the fight. Either way, it worked and she's dead'  
'She killed two of the Nightkin, you know. Shot one right through his Stealthboy and made Swiss cheese of another with her knife. Its likely that she killed more back at their camp too'  
'She didn't'  
'Steve, you don't-'  
'I do. We thinned their numbers enough that a raider group massacred them at the ridgeline settlement. Shame those raider fucks didn't arrive minutes earlier to stop her being cut to pieces and thrown in a fire'  
'I went up there Steve' she said softly to quell his rising despair, 'You buried her with her Pipboy on the cross you made. There's a white star on the wall of the fallen at the Scrapyard for her too'  
'You think you can wipe clean her blood from your hands? Thirty minutes away, that's what you said of the STRIKE team. Where were they when Rebecca was being dragged for hours to her death?'  
Natalya's words caught in her throat. She knew the team had to stand down because of the storm.  
'Like you said, it doesn't matter now does it? All that matters is what you want to do with the life you still have'  
Steve's anger dissipated. He leant forward, finished the beer.  
'I know you want the best for me Nat. Trying to be a friend. I appreciate it, truly. But she was all I had. We left the Vault with a vow to get through anything together. Now I have nothing. I'm just waiting for someone or something to step into that ring and end me now'  
'Why do you fight then? If you wanted to die, you would just let someone put a blade through your heart'  
'I want it to be honest. I want them to best me, one on one. Like those fucking mutants never could. Look, you better get going, unless you plan on staying here for the night. It's a long walk to the nearest safe zone'  
She looked at him in silence for more than a few moments. She knew right then there was no changing his mind. He was lost.  
'No, you're right. I should leave. It took me two days to come here and I'll just turn around and go and leave my friend here in this rut of his own self destruction'  
She couldn't hold the emotion from her words. Getting to the door, she turned around one last time.  
'You're not alone, you know. There were others that left Vault 101 when you did'  
'I know. Thomas Rumlow turned me into a perfect soldier then abandoned us'  
'There was another'  
'What?'  
'A fourth soul escaped. You still have a kindred spirit Steve'  
'Great. Someone else doomed to vanish in this hell world. Save it Nat. I don't want to know'  
She sighed. Holding the half open door.  
'Wait, take this' he called.  
She caught the flying key.  
'Freight car outside the gate, with the green skull painted on it. Take the bike back to Stark senior. Or keep it, just get somewhere safe. It brought me only misery'  
She nodded silently and left the room. He gazed at the closed door for a minute.  
'Fuck' he cursed.  
Steve turned to the cracked windows on the opposite side of the room, and the two women beyond. Making eye contact, he tilted his head sideways. Claire and Sasha returned with devilish grins for the tall fighter, casting off their robes.  
'Who was the cute redhead Nomad?' Sasha asked when they pushed him back onto the soft mattress.  
'Just some ghost from the past. Won't see her again'  
'Damn. She's cute in a psycho kind a way'  
Claire drew circles on Steve's chest with her fingers.  
'Definitely psycho. Got more faces than a cube that one'  
*  
Two hours after Natalya left, Steve had another visitor. The skinny man was clad in torn jeans, a leather vest, and black goggles below a spiked pink mohawk.  
'Got another challenger Nomad. Big fucking fella. You in?' he yelled over the music.  
'Of course he is Nix, you idiot' Sasha replied.  
Rogers simply nodded in agreement.  
'Alright. He's already here, so ten minutes?'  
'Sure thing Nix'  
The messenger left, causing a stir of excitement in the women.  
'How quick you gonna take him down big guy?'  
'God I can't wait to get you back in here. Fighting gets you absolutely riled'  
They repeated the same routine from earlier in the day. Claire used a spray gun to paint Steve's arms red up to the elbow. Fresh white bandages were wrapped around his knuckles and wrists. Each woman kissed the hand they dressed afterwards.  
As always, Sasha asked him if he wanted to use a weapon, gesturing to the wall stacked top to bottom with various implements. Blades ranging from knives to machetes, hatchets, sledgehammers, even a morning star. They came with the room, and Steve had not used a single one in the two weeks he'd lived there.  
'You know what, I will take something. Just for old times sake'  
He cleared aside junk on a table, revealing the round shield. The disc had been scruffily painted white with a large black star. The five points reached the edge.  
'Of all these things, you're taking that?' the black haired girl asked.  
'I don't want to go too hard on them'  
'No, save that for us' Claire chuckled, slapping him on the ass.  
The sound of the MC filled the tunnel over the roaring crowd as Steve walked through. Claire and Sasha flanked him, the latter carrying the shield. Ahead he saw the acid yellow sand welcoming him.  
'He's back again for the second time today folks, facing down his greatest challenge yet. He's a freak of nature, the bare chested beast. Give it up for Noooomaad!'  
The evening sun blinded him, heat bearing down on his skin. The stands were full, awash with the colours of dozens of tribes. They were all here to watch the violence he was about to perform. The gate on the opposite side was closed still. Clearly they wanted to build some tension, he thought.  
'All right folks. Simmer down. I said quiet!'  
The announcer commanded.  
An eerie calm fell, replaced by the bustle of Evergreen Mills beyond the stands.  
'This contender is...well he literally is a monster. He has travelled a long way just to take on the Nomad'  
Steve's brow furrowed. He couldn't think of anyone that would know who he was before Nomad.  
'Give it up for the giant ugly that is… Crastigus!'  
The name meant nothing. When the gate opened, it meant everything. The hulking Super Mutant Ancient lumbered forward. A gasp rolled through the crowd at the sheer size of the beast. He had to duck to get under the seven foot gate. Various armor pieces were strapped to his body, mostly pulled from power armor suits. A Kabuto style helmet adorned the creatures head.  
Every fibre in Steve's body tensed up. The self same Mutant that took her was right before him.  
'Don't wait up for me ladies. I'm gonna take my time with this piece of shit' he growled.  
Both were intimidated by his sudden intensity. The Ancient pointed an accusing finger as Rogers stood alone with his shield.  
'You! Not a human but not a Mutant!' Crastigus roared, 'Whole tribe dead because of you Starshield!'  
'Not all of them' Steve replied, 'What are you gonna do? Mutants don't kill Mutants'  
'You are nothing. Killing you breaks no code!'  
The Mutant probably weighed twice that of Steve, Natalya thought. He hadn't seen her yet, watching from high in the stands.  
Rogers moved first. The shield flew out, flat and level. Crastigus swatted it aside with his armored grieve. Steve had chased the disc, spinning a kick into the brute. The crowd became animated at the unfolding action, cheering as the mutant slammed into the sheet metal walls. The man paced back and forth, waiting for Crastigus to gather himself. Stomping on the edge of the shield whipped it back into his hands. Massive armored fists swept downwards, only to be deflected by the disc. With his opponent off balance, Steve struck up, punching the Mutant's exposed chin. His feet left the ground for a split second, silencing the awed crowd.  
'Come on Steve. Stop fucking around' Natalya whispered to herself.  
Every time Rogers knocked Crastigus down, he waited for him to get up. After the third, the Mutants slipped through his guard, seizing Steve by the throat. Natalya's breath caught. With an inhuman calm, Rogers gripped the armored forearm, raised his legs, and pushed off his opponent's chest. The two separated, Rogers relieving the mutant of his arm protection. He repeated the action methodically, pulling the improvised armor apart piece by piece. Soon the Sandy ground was littered with silver plates, greaves, shinguards and pauldrons. Blood began to drip from wounds inflicted on Crastigus in the process. Still he persevered, just for Rogers to block or avoid him and rain blows in return. After fighting for half an hour, the Mutant Ancient was spent. His strength no longer sufficient to hold up his own massive weight, and dropped to his knees. Steve stood before the creature, swatting aside a weak attempt to grab him again.  
'Kill him! Kill him! Kill him' the crowd began to chant.  
Rogers was breathing heavily, sweat making his body glisten in the hot sun. He finally noticed the red haired spy in the stand. Facing away from Crastigus, he nodded at Natalya and smiled. Rogers spun around, shield held out on a straight arm. The edge of the disc almost completely severed the monster's head. The Ancient fell to the ground, it's skull held in place only by his exposed neck vertebrae. There was one final shocked gasp at Nomad's savagery, almost like the raiders remembered their lost civility. The announcer reminded them who they really were.  
'Holy fucking shit on a stick! Nomad wins again! That turkey is cooked ladies and gentlemen!'  
A smiled crept across Natalya's face. She moved through the cheering crowd and out of the arena. Steve didn't look for her again.


	10. South Mason - 15th July 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get strange for Rhodey and Khan

It took less than half an hour into their journey for Rhodes to trust Kamala with a weapon. She had come to him the evening before at the market stall with a bold proposition. He had been working the evening shift, giving Potts the day off to spend with Tony, when the young woman poked her head around the door.  
'Hey Rhodes!'  
'Uh Kamala? Hey what's up?'  
She bounded in, unfazed by the gruff looks from the two Rangers and single RCSF soldier perusing the aisles.  
'Heard from a friend that you're a soldier. Big tough guy who's been on adventures?'  
'Who told you that?'  
'Samantha did. Is it true you served with Rebecca Barnes?'  
'I did. I led the expedition to free Stark from Talon Company'  
She gasped lightly. Rhodes saw a glint in her eyes.  
'So you fought with Captain America too?'  
'That's true. Best damn soldiers in the Capital, those two'  
'But you must be a badass too, to serve with them?'  
'You don't get to my age by being a bad soldier' he said, smiling.  
She smiled back.  
'I need your help, James Rhodes. I need you to get me back to South Mason so I can try to unlock my past'  
He was apprehensive at first, agreeing only on the condition that she be unarmed. As they walked together along the promenade, Kamala's naivete convinced him that she was harmless. Her sheer sense of wonder at seeing Rivet City from the outside for the first time was disarming. He stopped her for a moment, letting the sound of the lapping water become the only sound.  
'Look I had my misgivings about you. Got to be real Kamala. You literally fall out of nowhere, supposedly part of a high tech crew that kidnapped a scientist. It sounds nuts'  
'I understand your mistrust James. I would be wary of me if I were in your shoes. Hopefully this trip will give us the missing puzzle pieces'  
The genuine warmth in her voice helped him decide. The SCAR-H rifle slung over his shoulder wasn't the only weapon in his arsenal. Removing the pack from his back, Rhodes produced an AK pattern rifle with a collapsed stock.  
'As far as I'm aware, this is your first trip through DC. Couldn't imagine doing it without protection myself, so take this'  
She solemnly accepted the firearm, taking two tries to fit the magazine into the well on the underside.  
'That's the safety switch and fire selector on the left side. If it's far away, use single fire. Full auto is last resort. That thirty round mag will go in three seconds'  
'Thank you Rhodes. This means a lot'  
They continued to follow the river west into the city. The sight of the Jefferson Memorial caused her to stop. Rhodes expected such a reaction.  
'You good Khan?'  
'Yeah. This building means something. I don't know what. It's like all these memories are behind a locked door and I don't have the key'  
'So you don't remember being on the helicopter?'  
'I recall seeing one. Just a flash, but I was falling. Everything before that is shrouded in mist'  
'If this is too hard, we can go back to the ship'  
'Thank you Rhodes, but I have to do this'  
They pressed on, crossing the small bridge onto the open grassy island that hosted the large marble building.  
'What was the scientist working on in there? The one my former group wanted?'  
'Stark said it was some kind of large scale water purifier. They hit a wall decades ago though, only recently restarting the work'  
She gazed at the building, noticing various marks of graffiti and damage. A large yellow skinned creature was seen moving between the pillars.  
'It has fallen to Mutants now Rhodes. We should keep our distance'  
There was a sadness in her voice he had not yet heard. They skirted behind walls and hedgerows of the West Potomac Park, staying out of sight of the Memorial until they reached Arlington Bridge. The stone arch road crossing presented them with a new obstacle. Three hulking figures in silver power armor stood halfway across the span.  
'Hang back Kamala, I'll deal with these guys' Rhodes reassured her.  
'Who are they?'  
'Brotherhood of Steel. Army remnants'  
'That's good right?'  
'Mixed bag. Original 'Hood mission was just to hoard technology, blaming it for the death of the world. These guys became renegades, seeing themselves as benevolent saviours'  
'Oh?'  
'Just watch'  
She followed him in stowing her weapon. The three soldiers carried boxy laser rifles, levelling them at the man in Germantown uniform and girl in jeans and hoodie.  
'That's close enough. This bridge is under the supervision of Lyons' Brotherhood. State your business'  
'We are journeying to Tenpenny Tower' Rhodes called, 'This is the heir to the Khan fortune. I have been hired to escort her home'  
Kamala shot him an incredulous look, only to get a wink in reply.  
'Alright. Stick to the south highway once you pass the Citadel' the lead soldier instructed.  
'Thanks fellas'  
She kept her eyes on the silver armored figured as they passed. The end of the bridge held yet more wonders for Kamala. The central stronghold of the Capital Brotherhood was known as the Citadel. The five cornered building guarded the west bank of the Potomac, the former hub of the United States armed forces. Despite being essentially a colossal office complex, it's solid stone build meant it was still standing centuries later. The four lane highway snaked around the building. In the midsummer sun, Rhodes was glad to finally be able to go below ground. Their access would be the Metro Station near Alexandria Library.  
*  
The park spread north ahead of them. On the far side stood the Hubris Comics print factory. The pair crossed to the east road, following it straight until the chemical factory finally came into view. The parkland behind them had dried out owing to the dry summer.  
'This place? Terrigen. Hmm' Rhodes said.  
'I feel like this has answers inside. Are you ready James?'  
'Yeah. Let's do this'  
The door to the reception area was stuck fast, only giving way with their strength combined. Inside, the floors were slick with liquid that shimmered in technicolor in the sunlight. Dust and a heady smell hung in the air, but they pressed onwards. Through dark ruined corridors, they followed sounds of movement, soon hearing voices. On the factory level, the two raiders argued over loot on a gantry several metres above Rhodes and Khan. They kept quiet, letting the disagreement play out.  
'What the fuck are we even stealing this shit for DJ?'  
'Shut up you dick. Look at it. Tanks with this many warning labels has gotta be valuable'  
'But you can't even read! This could be poison'  
'Good. Hey, hey keep up your end. Poison is useful. Since that pussy Stark stopped selling straps, weapons are lucrative. We could make chemical weapons with. Ah fuck!'  
The sound of heavy metal clashing kept the pair's attention on the ground level. What they couldn't see was the ruptured cannister spraying over the two raiders. They heard the screams as the hapless looters' flesh was melted on contact with the white gas. The orange cylinder fell, crashing over a gantry halfway down and landing right at Kamala's feet. She was already half turned to James when she heard the yells from above. She wanted to push him away, only for her limbs to stretch by several metres. Her fists swelled to a massive size, large enough to project the grown man back into the foyer. White mist enveloped her. Kamala's heart skipped. She shut her eyes and waited for it to end. Nothing. Nothing happened. She felt the chill of the gas, confused as to why it wasn't harming her.  
Then she was warm. The air had changed. She no longer smelled the chemicals of the plant, just dust and old wood. She opened her eyes.  
'What the hell? Where am I? Rhodes?'  
He was beside her, both standing at the foot of a grand staircase. At the top was a circular window with an unfamiliar symbol laid in the frame. The building was old, but clean. Polished wood panels adorned every wall. Glass cases held all manner of artefacts, trinkets, and archaic weapons.  
'Kamala how did we get here? What did you do to me?'  
'I don't know...I'  
she looked at her arms, both normal length and size. She balled her fist and squeezed. Her hand swelled in size again, making her scream and shake the limb until it deflated. Rhodes didn't take his eyes off of the physical impossibility occuring right before him.  
'I don't know what's happening to me James' she whimpered.  
The sound of flapping cloth drew their attention up the stairs. The cloaked figure was a dark silhouette against the light flooding through the round window. He drifted down, feet just inches off the ground. Closer now the levitating man came into view. The red cloak held on to his blue robes by ornate gold brotches. His hair was jet black, with streaks of white around the ears. Right before them, his high leather boots gently touched down. He smiled and bowed lightly.  
'Kamala Khan. James Rhodes. I am Doctor Stephen Strange. Sorry about scaring you. I'd rather your skin didn't melt, Mr Rhodes'  
'Right. What are you a wizard? Where are we?' James demanded.  
He moved to raise his weapon, only to find his hands were empty.  
'I'm a master of the mystic arts. You're in the New York Sanctum Santorum, the bastion of my order'  
'We're what? New York? Did you drug us or something?' Kamala asked, oddly calm.  
'No I brought you through a portal. I've been looking for you for some time Ms Khan. I'm glad you're finally here'  
'You know me? Can you tell me what happened to me?'  
'I haven't met you before, but I can, yes. Let's sit down before we do this'  
Strange snapped his fingers, making Rhodes and Khan blink involuntarily. They felt like they were still, with the world moving around them. The two armchairs faced the one in which Strange sat. By her side, Kamala felt something cold in her hand. She raised the glass of orange juice, staring at it as James did the same with the bottle of beer in his. The robed man held a mug of steaming tea, gazing at them expectantly.  
'You both have a lot of questions. I have most of the answers. Fire away'  
'How do you know I like orange juice?'  
'Educated guess. Your name and the fact you clutched something small and square in your pocket when surprised. Rhodes here grips his gun, you seek solace in the Qur'an'  
'So you know what's Haram. Doesn't explain why I like orange'  
'Because I looked into your future'  
She only narrowed her eyes as Rhodes stifled a laugh.  
'So you can fly, teleport, and see the future?' he chided, 'Tell me mine'  
'I can tell you small details, little things. Not the big things, or they won't happen'  
'You said you were looking for me' Kamala cut in, 'Since when?'  
'Since you fell from the sky. There are parts of this story that Rhodes here isn't supposed to find out yet so I will get him up to speed first'  
'Wait, why can't I know?'  
'You mess with time, it messes back. Trust me I've been there. So what I've got for you, Colonel Rhodes is knowledge'  
'Knowledge of what?'  
'Flight. I'm going to borrow it from your future self, one moment'  
'What does any of that-?'  
Kamala hushed him with a hand on his arm. Before them, Strange made symmetrical gestures with his scarred fingers, then drew them across an ornate locket hanging on his chest. The locket twisted, revealing a glowing green gemstone no bigger than a marble. Light streamed impossibly around his wrists from the stone, reflecting in Kamala's wondrous gaze. Strange kept his eyes closed for just over a minute until the process was done.  
'Alright, now what Stephen? You read me the basics of flight?'  
'No, it's a little more direct than that'  
Strange stood up, looming over the seated soldier. He took off his yellow glove and simply laid it flat on Rhodes' trimmed head. He flinched once, blinked, then gasped.  
'Rhodes? You okay friend?' Kamala asked as Strange returned to his tea.  
James gazed straight ahead, occasionally blinking and shaking his head.  
'What...what did you do to me Doc?'  
'Like I said, there was knowledge that your future self knows that you need to know now. James, do you know how to pilot aircraft?'  
'...yes…'  
'Which ones?'  
'Fixed wing, VTOL, helicopters, goddamn gliders all of them. This is impossible. I didn't know this two minutes ago'  
'You know it now, and it's going to be vital for what is to come. It's time to go now James. I'm sending you back to DC'  
'Wait, without me?' Kamala asked.  
'Your path takes you elsewhere Ms Khan. I'm sorry it's so abrupt'  
'But what about my friends in Rivet City. What about Samantha?'  
'You will see her again. I promise you. I've seen it. Rhodes too'  
Strange's two guests looked at eachother. Khan looked fearful, but James cleared his throat and remained stoic.  
'You'll be alright Kamala. I-'  
She pulled back when he vanished, leaving a small circle of sparks dancing in the soft upholstered chair.  
'So... Kamala Khan. Something of a lost soul right now?'  
'You mean like I can't remember who I am? Yes'  
'It's just as much about what you are, as who. You see, as the protector of this Sanctuary I get...let's just call them cosmic notifications when something beyond this Earth pipes up'  
'Are you calling me an alien Strange?'  
'Far from it. Do you look like one?'  
'Only when I do this'  
She repeated the action from earlier, increasing the size of both fists. It didn't scare her this time. Strange raised his eyebrows and nodded with a light smile.  
'You're what's known as an inhuman. Genetically you're 95 percent human. The other 5 is what makes you special. Its something ancient that's been in your family for hundreds of generations, lying dormant until you fell out of that helicopter and into liquid Terrigen'  
'What is Terrigen though? It was the name of that company'  
'It was named after the extraterrestrial substance they were messing with long ago. It's a mutagen, but only compatible with your Inhuman DNA'  
'So that's why those guys turned to human soup'  
'Yes. The learning curve will be steep, but you will become fluent in your new found abilities. Now to move forward we have to go backwards. You know nothing about why you were in that helicopter?'  
'No'  
'Right. To sum up, you were a soldier in a faction called The Enclave. Leftovers of the US government. They've gone a little haywire and are frankly heading towards genocide'  
Kamala sat back and blinked, wondering why her eyes were watering.  
'You felt a responsibility to serve them, seeing as you lived your whole life in Raven Rock. Service ensured your family had somewhere safe to live. Is that right?'  
'Yeah' she sobbed, 'Yeah it's all coming back now Stephen'  
'I'm sorry. I don't mean to unearth sore memories. I just need you to know everything. So you were on a raid to abduct a scientist, Thomas Rumlow'  
'Brooke's father!'  
'Yes. Your friend Samantha Wilson intervened during the escape. She was trying to rescue Thomas'  
'Why did the Enclave want him?'  
'He has knowledge on how to create enhanced beings like Captain Rogers. They want him to make more to serve their immoral ends. Samantha and Brooke Rumlow fought, and you were knocked out of the helicopter'  
Kamala paused, thinking everything over.  
'It was Brooke's fault. I remember it now. She cut my line. I fell because of her'  
'I'm afraid so. Sam Wilson lost the fight and fell too, landing not far from you. As soon as she knew you were alive, she pulled you from the water and called for help'  
'Well that sums them both up doesn't it. She didn't even know me and saved my life. All these people. Rogers, Wilson, Rhodes, Stark. They're going to fight against The Enclave aren't they?'  
'They are. That's all I can say right now. As I said, your path leads elsewhere'  
'What about my parents? My brother? where does their path go? Are they safe in the Rock?'  
Strange stood up and gestured for her to follow. Across the library they walked.  
'I was going to wait until your recollection of them came naturally. Here'  
Behind a door was an apartment, architecturally similar to the rest of the Sanctum. In the lounge, two adults and a child waited.  
'Kamala!' the young boy called.  
She cried again.  
*  
Rhodes vomited after the teleportation, bent over and wretching. He saw stars in his vision, distracting him from finding out where Strange had thrown him. His gun had been put back in his hands.  
'I can't deal with much more of this shit. God damn'  
He was in a large room, similar to the hangar on the ship. A green exit sign glowed over a door nearby. Beside the steel shutter was a switch illuminated by several glowing sparks. The orange lights looked like fireflies, drawing James close. Once by the switch, the sparks darted at him, combining and becoming brighter. He let the gun fall and raised both hands instinctively. Something was in his hands, the sparks had vanished. It was a note, handwritten and monogrammed by Strange himself.

'The beast has laid dormant but ready for centuries. You must tame her Colonel. Make your ancestors proud  
Stephen Strange'

Rhodes sighed and flicked the switch on the wall. Row by row, the banks of floodlights flickered into life behind him, echoes whipping through the cavernous space. The unusual aircraft sat in the centre. The fuselage was similar to a small cargo plane, only with ducted fans embedded in the short wings. Massive jet engines were mounted in the rear, holding vertical and horizontal stabilisers. Rhodes recognised every component part of the vehicle as he walked around it. The orange painted parts and various warning signs told him the vehicle was experimental.  
'Some kind of prototype VTOL. Hmm. Project Pegasus?' he read.  
The rear access ramp to the hold was open.  
'How long have you been lying here? Wait where even are we?'  
He walked the length of the hold, through the cabin door, and into the cockpit. A helmet sat in the pilot's seat. Rhodes couldn't wrap his head around how clean the whole thing was. It was as if the aircraft was lifted straight from a production line.  
'Okay Pegasus. Show me what you got'  
Two turned dials and six flicked switches later, the airframe was filled with a deep hum. Rhodes felt it through the seat.  
'Woah. Okay. I'm really doing this'  
Lights, screens, and readouts flashed to life all around him. One display played host to an oscilloscope visualising the onboard assistant's voice. The voice was flat, metallic, and female.  
'Welcome, Pilot, to the Boeing-Vertol xc-225 QuadJet. Please select your take off method'  
'Well shit. You want me to fly already?'  
'Affirmative'  
'Uh'  
He leaned forward in the seat and looked around.  
'I don't see a door in this place. This hangar doesn't have a door'  
'You are in a subterranean hangar, Pilot. I would suggest Vertical takeoff. Opening bay doors now'  
A strip of light struck the centre of the cockpit windshield from above, becoming rapidly wider. Dirt and small rocks fell from above plinked against the fuselage. Rhodes held off from turning on the rotors until the debris stopped falling. The doors high above slammed heavily into their cavities, telling him it was time to go.  
'Okay Strange. Here goes nothing'  
The handle on his left controlled the power through the fans. The stick between his knees covered the pitch and roll. Pulling gently back with his left hand sent powerful vibrations through the whole machine. He could feel through his fingers exactly when each landing wheel left the ground.  
'Oh boy. Woah. Right. Cool' he said, quickly.  
He was off the ground. He was flying. Rhodes kept the power constant, releasing the handle in order to close the hatch at the rear. His ears popped shortly after.  
'Alright. We are pressurised. Might need this'  
He placed the helmet loosely on his head, straps dangling to his shoulders. The centre control stick had to have constant minor adjustments to stay still and level. He applied more power, feeling the QuadJet buck upwards. He crossed the threshold of the hangar. The visor of his helmet dimmed in response to the sudden light. The ground before him was flat and featureless, save for blocked sections of grass between long paved stretches.  
'Of course. You hide a plane under the damn airport'  
He was hovering over the southern limit of Ronald Reagan National airport. The skies reaching ahead held only small banks of cloud. He was about to climb further when a small red cross flashed up on the windshield holograph.  
'What's the problem?' he asked.  
The onboard interface screen flashed to a camera view. Far ahead on the ground, two figures stood brandishing weapons. The display highlighted dual pistols in one's hands, and a long rifle in the other.  
'We got weapons on board? Just to scare them'  
'Negative, Pilot. This vehicle is a mobility testbed'  
'Better get out of here quick- hey wait!'  
The figure with the pistols had broken into a sprint towards him, a pair of wings appearing on her back.  
'Shit. Shit. Shit. We got a PA on this thing?'  
The system faultered for a moment. Rhodes had to act defensively, rocking the aircraft back like a startled bighorner. Wilson banked around him as Rhodes fought to keep her in his sights, hoping she'd see him. Finally a small message appeared on his screen. Address system active.  
'Sam! Sam its me, James Rhodes! Stand down!'  
She rolled onto her back, looking at him, then banked upwards. He stayed in place, pivoting when Wilson returned to whom he presumed to be Reilly. Once they reunited did he dip forwards and cross the runway to the collapsed terminal where they first appeared from. In a sweeping move, he turned the back of the craft to them and lowered the ramp. The wheels gently made contact with the ground. With the engines powering down, he heard footsteps. Rhodes stood to meet the pair, completely bewildered in the bare cargo hold.  
'It's crazy who you run into at the airport, huh ladies?' he said, grinning.  
'When were you gonna tell us you owned a jet Rhodes?'  
'I was gonna come surprise you with it at the ship. What are you guys doing here?'  
'I wanted to find a tandem flight harness to add to my wings. We borrowed a boat from Rivet to get here'  
'Could you give me a ride back?' Reilly asked, holding her hands together and smiling.  
'Sure thing but you should ride up front. This thing isn't exactly finished in here. You good to be my wingman Falcon?'  
Samantha stood still, suppressing her inner excitement. Silently she counted from three to one with her fingers, then ran towards the back of the QuadJet.  
'Race you!' she yelled.  
'Shit. Come on Rhodey, let's punch it!' Reilly urged, already diving into the cockpit.  
The onboard system responded to James's frantic calls as he sat down, spinning up the rotors within seconds. They were off the ground before either Rhodes or Tiernan had strapped themselves in. She was amazed by his mastery of the controls, turning the aircraft on a dime and racing across the runway. Samantha had gone high, arcing across the river and the end of the airport. Rhodes pursued her, but couldn't match her speed. He quickly noticed why.  
'Of course. Haven't engaged the dedicated jets. Uh'  
'Is it this one?'  
Reilly flicked a switch with a small silhouette of the aircraft and a horizontal arrow. The sudden blast from the back hit at the same moment they were pinned to their seats by the acceleration. The murky green water ahead of them became a blur, before Rhodes evened out the power. He found a comfortable cruising speed at around one hundred and eighty. Within minutes the massive ship came into view. Reilly finally put a flight helmet on and fiddled with the radio.  
'Come in Romeo Charlie. Romeo Charlie do you copy?'  
The comms room was empty. Fortunately another entity responded.  
'Good day!' JARVIS replied cheerfully.  
Recognising the AI, Rhodes flicked on his helmet mic.  
'Hey J. It's Rhodes. Get Stark up top if he isn't busy. I got a surprise for him'  
'Absolutely Sir'  
On the approach to the broken flight deck, James and Reilly noticed they had been soundly beaten. Samantha stood near the island, wings wrapped around her like a cocoon. Once they drew near, she spiraled upwards, spinning faster and faster. Circles of fire and smoke danced in circles before Wilson dropped to her knees. The sound of the QuadJet brought more than just Stark to the deck. A small crowd stepped out of a bulkhead door at the front of the island. An imposing figure caught Rhodes' attention before he left the cockpit. Tall, long dark leather coat, eyepatch. The stranger stepped forward from the crowd, ignoring Reilly and Samantha's joyous embrace.  
'Nice set of wings you got there brother'  
'Thanks. Do I know you?'  
'Fury. They call me Director Fury. I'm from SWORD. I came here to see your old pal Stark. Now? I'm here to see you, James Rhodes'


	11. Raven Rock - 23rd July 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rumlow leads her own mission

Brooke kept a radio receiver on her twenty four hours a day. When Rebecca woke from the induced coma, she would be the first to be there. Each day she would pass the same recovery room that held her months before. The comatose girl was in a dreadful state for weeks after the various operations to save her. Thomas did begrudgingly thank his daughter for staunching Rebecca's most pressing wound. Only when they entered theatre were the extent of the Mutants' beating become clear. Her left eye socket was collapsed. Two broken ribs. Punctured lung. A brain bleed that required three hours of surgery to alleviate. Brooke noted the various bruises slowly healing.  
Finally, at around three am, she recieved the message she'd been waiting for. Rumlow clambered over Jack's sleeping form and felt around for her clothes in the dark. Only out in the hallway did she realise she was wearing Rollins' shirt over her sweatpants. It didn't matter. She tore through the orange-lit black metal corridors to the med centre. Autumn and Zola were present in the observation room with Doctor Madeliene Stewart, when she entered.  
'Has anyone been in there yet? If they have I'll kill them myself'  
'No, she's been conscious for five minutes and only called out once' Stewart replied.  
'You're up Rumlow' Autumn commanded, 'It's time to start imprinting'  
Rebecca moved her eyes when she heard the door open, though couldn't see the visitor without moving her head.  
'Huh...hello?' she uttered weekly.  
The dryness in her mouth made the words painful, coupled with the swelling around her jaw and missing teeth.  
Brooke moved to where she could be clearly seen.  
'Hey. My god its so good to see you awake' she said, smiling.  
'Brooke. Is that-'  
Her words caught and she coughed.  
Rebecca winced, closing her eyes tightly. Without being promoted, Rumlow poured a glass of water from a jug and placed a straw in it.  
'I'm gonna raise the bed up. Let me know if it hurts'  
With one hand she held the remote for the bed, lightly holding Barnes' fingers with the other. The mattress rose with a faint mechanical hum. The injured girl squeezed lightly.  
'That okay. Cool let's get you hydrated'  
Barnes drank deeply, emptying the glass then gasping.  
'Is that really you Brooke? How did you find me? Where are we?'  
Brooke sat on the bed beside her.  
'Yeah. It's me. We found you in a bad way. Really bad. You must still be in a lot of pain'  
'Yeah. Everything hurts. I thought I had died. My arm. They took my arm Brooke'  
Rumlow comforted her as she became agitated, trying to look at the heavy dressings on her right shoulder.  
'I know. I know, there wasn't anything we could do about that. We had to get you back here for surgery under fire'  
'Where am I?'  
'This is Raven Rock. It's a state of the art facility set up and run by the United States government. It's who I work for'  
'Where is Steve? Is he here?'  
Brooke sighed and looked down.  
'I'm sorry...so sorry. He-' she paused to clear her throat, 'He left you to die Rebecca'  
'No… he fought to save me. He did everything he could to help me'  
Brooke held her forearm lightly.  
'We intercepted the logs from SWORD. He received three direct orders from Fury to pursue the mutants that took you, but he refused. He was frightened'  
'No. You're lying. He wouldn't do that'  
Brooke saw her getting too agitated.  
'Hey. Hey. It's okay. Lay still. You're still recovering, don't go pulling at the stitches while they're fresh'  
She pressed a button on the bed remote, listening as the woman's cries petered out. Rebecca fell into a morphine assisted sleep. The soft expression on Brooke's face dropped immediately as she turned to the mirrored window.  
'Stage one down. We should go straight to the next. Get this girl jacked up already so we can get rid of her and move on' she spat. She hid the truth of her own play well. This wouldn't turn out as the Colonel expected.  
*  
Brooke couldn't read her father. He had usually been openly expressive, just as she recalled from living with him in the Vault. Today he looked defeated. He hasn't shaved since entering Enclave captivity, appearing disheveled as he wheeled the metal trolley into the recovery room. Autumn, Zola, and Brooke observed him carry out the procedure. She expected more from the serum from the beginning, considering how much it had affected Rogers. To think a single injection from a hypodermic needed was all it took to make someone that powerful. The serum took hold immediately, she could almost watch it course through Rebecca's body from her right arm once the needle was withdrawn. Her heartrate jumped. Only by ten bpm but it stayed higher. Despite her outward coldness, Brooke did feel a stab of anxiety in those first few minutes. With her eyes on Barnes' face that worry vanished. The discoloration around her facial injuries faded. The darkness around Rebecca's eyes vanished. Brooke felt an unwelcome sense of happiness watching the swelling drain from the woman's temples and cheeks. With everyone's eyes on Rebecca, Brooke quietly loosened the velcro strap over her firearm. The serum had worked, it was time. She thought.  
Thomas rounded on her in a second. Brooke choked. She had never seen such fury in her father's eyes. She froze. In an instant the gun was pulled from her waist. It felt like the room shook. In the confined space the shot was deafening. A high pitched wail rang in her ears, making her wince and hold her eyes closed. The distant sound of a dull thud disturbed her.  
Autumn and Zola moved at first but then halted, barely coming around the bed.  
Thomas Rumlow had made no miscalculation. He had one opportunity to end his life and save Rebecca's and took it. Brooke had to act once more. Her hands shook, eyes wide glaring at the bleeding body of her father. She fell to the ground as guards piled into the room, feeling the warm liquid seep into the fabric over her knees. She resisted, screaming at the hands trying to pull her back.  
The fingers of suspicion fell on her as she expected. As she sat in the bare holding cell only one thought lingered in her head. She knew Zola would give the answer she wanted. The diminutive man was the first to visit her, barely two hours after the events in the hospital room. He sat down quietly and cleaned his glasses before talking.  
'Did you know your father wished to end his life?'  
'No'  
'Do you have any idea why he would end his life?'  
'No'  
'Did you let him take your weapon?'  
'No'  
'Why were you armed in that room Miss Rumlow?'  
'He told me what happens to most FEV recipients. I thought the least I could do was put her out of her misery quickly. Call it a courtesy as a former acquaintance'  
'I see. Hmm'  
He looked at her for a moment.  
'There was a single other vial of the serum in Thomas's workspace'  
Her heart skipped. She prayed the Doctor didn't see her pupils dilate.  
'Augustus told me you wished to have the girl killed once the serum proved successful. Now she is the only one it has successfully bonded with, other than Captain Rogers'  
'What are we going to do with her Arnim?'  
'I have had plans and contingencies for her since you retrieved the girl. Come with me'  
She didn't immediately move to follow him.  
'Come now Rumlow. Your father's demise is hard to process but time is at a premium'  
He couldn't tell if the noise Brooke made was a stifled laugh or sob. He didn't particularly care. He led her to his personal laboratory, a workspace only accessible to those Zola deemed necessary for his work. One of those chosen few was now Brooke Rumlow. Various half finished projects lay on worktops in the empty open room. Only when she realised they were there alone did Brooke check the time on her Pipboy.  
'midnight. You burning the candle at both ends Doc?'  
'I get as much sleep as I require' he replied, flatly.  
In the corner of the room was a morbid curiosity. Suspended within a metre long glass case was a complete human arm skeleton. In place of bone was silver metal. Zola stood before it, a prideful smile on his face.  
'We rebuild her' Brooke gasped.  
'Precisely. I have studied prosthetics and cybernetics with some intensity since Rebecca's arrival. With some work she has the potential to become our greatest asset'  
'What is it made of? The bones?'  
'Tungsten Carbide. This is simply the mock up. It's what covers them that is the true marvel'  
In a alcove room, Zola revealed his most treasured acquisition. A glass container, similar to the first, stood in the centre. Nimble mechanical arms worked frivolously over a second arm. Some applied components to small prehensile motors in the shoulder, wrist, and hands. Others inserted nodes and electrodes at the shoulder joint. Two larger appendages appeared to weave a silver thread over the prosthetic.  
'What is that? Did you make this Arnim?'  
'Ha. If only. This was recovered from the ruins of a university in the city. Some perverse individuals had developed the means to create synthetic humans using this machine'  
'Synthetic? As in-'  
'Manufactured people. I believe this originates from the old Institute of Technology in Boston. I neither know nor care what material they originally used, so I substituted a titanium alloy of my own devising. This limb should match or even exceed Miss Barnes' projected strength'  
Brooke was mesmerised by the machine seemingly printing a metal arm into existence. Finally she turned to the short Doctor.  
'You talk about all this as if it's the easy part'  
'Indeed it is. You voiced concerns at Rogers' mental fortitude being a barrier to turning him. It would appear Barnes presents similar challenges. An answer may lie nearby, somewhere you can play a vital part'  
*  
It felt natural to return to night-only missions in the Vertibird for Alpha team under Brooke's command. She had personally chosen the two replacements for Lockhart and Khan. The latter came up during the half hour flight due east.  
'Did they ever find out what happened to the Khans?' asked Sunil Bakshi, formerly of Bravo team.  
'No. There's no evidence of them leaving their quarters. Cameras weren't on the fritz either' replied Kara Palamas, the second new hire.  
Brooke firmly believed that Autumn simply disposed of the superfluous inhabitants of the base following Kamala's death.  
The transport bird was taking them perilously close to the fortress city of Olney, though a mile of their journey would still be covered on foot. Gwen Harris took the mission flying solo. Through the Verti's sophisticated topographic readout she found a suitable place to drop the team.  
'Boots on the ground in thirty seconds' she called through the headset. All external lights were turned off to minimise detection. Within the cockpit, she had to rely purely on a night vision. The five person team fixed their own visual devices in place when the wheels hit the dirt.  
Brooke moved fast and quiet, leading her group over the low hills and dry gullies. The marked target on her wrist device flashed ever closer. This installation was less conspicuous that 101. The entrance was marked by a parking lot small enough to warrant concern from Edith.  
'You sure this is the place Rumlow? You said your place had thousands of inhabitants'  
'My place had no parking lot at all. Some drew from local residents. This is it. This is Vault 92'  
A wide causeway curved gradually down into the earth at the far edge of the wreck filled lot, doubling under itself into a tunnel. The white concrete walls were clean enough to disturb Brooke. There was no sign of attempted entry when they reached the massive cog door. She had worried that finding another vault would bring back sour memories of her old home, but none came. This place was completely alien to her. The four members of her squad formed up, two covering the rear and two ready with weapons on the door as Brooke approached the control panel.  
She sighed with relief when the console lit up in response to her Pipboy connection lead. The screen on her wrist flashed up, showing the cheerful Vault Boy raising a thumb. The voice she hadn't heard since stepping out of 101 came back.  
'Congratulations on locating a second Vault. We are currently interfacing with the system to grant you access to safety and salvation from Vault-Tec! A brighter future, underground'  
A cheerful jingle played, implying success. Rumlow stepped back, level with her team and turned the safety off of her MP5. She had no intention of treating with whomever was inside. They were here to retrieve data and nothing else. The stench hit them first when the cog rolled out of place. Tense hold on firearms was loosened as stale air swept out of the Vault.  
'Masks! Now!' Brooke commanded.  
Within seconds she felt the claustrophobic black rubber limit her vision. One by one she looked at her squadmates and tapped her ears.  
'Radio check. Rumlow in'  
'Varr in'  
'Rollins in'  
'Palamas in'  
'Bakshi in'  
'Okay this place stinks of death but there might still be something here. We are weapons free. Everything but us is a target. Got it?'  
'Yes ma'am' the four said together.  
She hated wearing the mask. The sound of her breath and the respirator was distracting, not to mention the restricted visuals. Inside the Vault was a scene that made her shudder. It was like her old home had gone to hell. The walls were filthy and rusted. The entrance hall was a mess of junk and equipment strewn everywhere. Their progress was slowed by the obstacles in every hallway and atrium. Some doors they found were broken and inoperable, forcing Brooke to find alternative routes using the local map function on her Pipboy. One such route led them through a testing area. The straight hall had six small rooms on either side, all open. It was in this area that the putrid stench penetrated her mask. Her squadmates suffered the same.  
'Fucking hell what happened down here?' Varr cursed.  
Bakshi made the mistake of flicking in his gun light and peering in a small room. Dark filth was piled high in the far corners, the floor otherwise completely stained deep red. Various bones littered the cell. What he presumed were claw marks we're all up the walls.  
'I think I'm better off not knowing. They have this shit in your Vault Rumlow?' he remarked.  
'No. Shut up and keep moving'  
The overseer's office was their target. In the last hall they found signs of possible danger. Brooke stopped, raising a fist to halt her squad.  
'Wall breach. Could be bugs here. Stay sharp'  
The hole in the metal wall stretched from floor to ceiling. Varr noticed something that caused concern as they moved past the black void.  
'Guys. Guys, this hole was made from the inside'  
A chill ran through Brooke's body in response. She shook it off and moved on. At the rear, Sunil's curiosity got the better of him again. The light from his torch reflected on several pairs of white eyes at the far end of the rocky tunnel. He stumbled back, screaming before calling the team.  
'Contact. Fuck contact left!'  
The eyes moved around in the dark as the emaciated humanoids scurried towards him on all fours. He snapped off two bursts into the darkness before Kara pushed him aside. The short metal pipe was unhooked from her backpack and pointed into the breach. A spark lit at the end, followed a half second later by a jet of flame that ripped through the creatures. They couldn't get away in the confined space, falling over eachother as the burning fuel incinerated them. From the hallway, Brooke saw the dancing flames reflected in Palamas's mask visor. She also spied a glint of joy in the woman's eyes. It took less than ten seconds for the troglodytes to be immolated. Kara turned back to her squadmates and simply shrugged.  
'This place could have had flammable gases in the air Palamas' Rollins called.  
'Well it didn't so who gives a shit. Canary didn't come up with anything'  
'Canary?'  
'Yeah. I made it myself. It beeps if there's anything that my flamer could ignite. I was so happy this place didn't set it off' the woman chirped.  
'You've got a worrying relationship with that weapon I swear to christ' Bakshi remarked.  
'Hey, everyone needs a hobby' Kara said, nodding at Brooke.  
Rumlow nodded back, turned, and carried on to the Overseer's office.  
Bakshi made his inclusion in her squad worthwhile when he cracked the encrypted terminal in a few minutes as the rest stood watch at the door.  
'I'm in Rumlow. You want everything?'  
'Yes. Everything pertaining to the enhanced suggestive techniques. Make it fast this place is giving me the creeps'  
'You're telling me'  
Brooke caught Rollins looking through the round window overlooking the main atrium. He half jumped when she tapped his shoulder. They were close enough to talk without using the radios.  
'I have a bad feeling those were the inhabitants we just torched'  
'Jack that's impossible. Nothing could survive in here. This place went to shit a long time ago'  
Sunil overheard them and delivered the disturbing truth.  
'Jack's right Rumlow'  
'What?'  
She stepped back around the computer on the round desk. It was all there right on the screen.  
'Those creatures were the result of the research we're here to grab. Mind control messed them right up. Made them feral'  
Brooke clenched her fist into a ball on the desk.  
'Grab it anyway. Mission comes first. We're burying this place on the way out'  
'Ma'am?' Varr said, narrowing her eyes.  
'You heard me. Bring the breaching thermite. We're going to the reactor level'  
Kara lead the way to the lower level, following Brooke's instructions to reach the reactor as quickly as possible. A second access hole to the tunnel network around the Vault was found near the reactor. The narrow shaft was drowned in fire without even checking for the creatures.  
Thirty minutes later, the team stood at the rendezvous point for extraction. All were eager to be free of their masks, and watched the dawn light spill from the eastern hills. Edith kept the detonator ready in her hand for Brooke's call. Harris contacted the team with a thirty second warning for pickup.  
'Blow it'  
A tremor pulsed under their feet as the Vertibird kicked up a cloud of dust around the five soldiers. On board, Gwen asked them if they saw something huge fly high into the sky to the west just before she touched down.  
'No, what did it look like?' Kara replied.  
'I don't know, like a huge disc. It was round'  
Brooke sputtered a laugh, leaning forward in her seat. The other members gave her odd looks.  
'Rumlow, you good?' Rollins asked.  
'Yeah uh. That was the Vault door we just sent into the lower atmosphere'  
Her amusement was reciprocated, sending a ripple of laughter around the compartment.  
Brooke took the hard drive to hand over to Zola personally. The doctor had moved Rebecca to a reinforced observation room within his private lab. She felt unease at the lack of base medical staff present, other than a physician Arnim had personally chosen. Helen Zhang was unknown to Brooke until they met over Barnes' comatose form. The woman was tall and thin. Brooke thought her to be conventionally pretty, but unassuming.  
'Where is Arnim?'  
'The doctor is taking a temporary respite, leaving me to oversee application of the new arm'  
'You?' Brooke said, with an edge of exasperation.  
'Yes. I contributed much to both her physical enhancements under the late Dr Rumlow, and the development of the arm. He has faith in my ability to bring results'  
'Uh huh. Right. I'll hold on to this until he's back. Can't do much until we have a whole person to work with.  
Rumlow stuck around to watch the two hour long combination of surgery and technical repair. It was only when she saw Rebecca, clad in green sweatpants and a black tank top, did she see the extent of the serum's effects. The girl had grown several inches. She wasn't towering like Rogers, but Brooke estimated her to be five foot nine at least. The most noticeable change was the sheer muscle definition seen even through her clothes. She remembered Barnes to be physically fit as required by her Security role in the Vault, but now had the appearance of a lifelong athlete. The team of three masked doctors, Zola, Steward, and Zhang, toiled away at her shoulder, working to connect every neurone and synapse to their synthetic equivalent. Their work was equally aided and hindered by Rebecca's body trying to heal itself. The team, save for Zola, showed visible relief when Barnes accepted the foreign limb, strands of muscle connecting to the metallic counterparts. The shorter lead doctor left once the vital surgery had been completed, leaving Madeleine and Helen to stitch the girl up. Brooke found herself watching the end of the process intently, leaning against the mirrored glass. She didn't notice Arnim enter the room beside her, fresh out of his operating scrubs.  
'I hear your excursion to Vault 92 was successful soldier?'  
She slipped, bumping her head on the glass before turning to him.  
'Yes. Zola' she said, clearing her throat, 'We found the living, breathing results of their experiments too'  
'Oh?'  
'Yeah. I'd say it needs some fine tuning. The last thing we want is a blood crazed, feral super soldier tearing us all to pieces'  
Arnim raised his eyebrows as Brooke produced the hard drive from her pocket.  
'I don't know if it was the original test subjects, or their descendants that we found down there, but we destroyed the place on the way out'  
'Ah, that would explain the mild tremors we felt shortly before your return. Fear not Specialist. Those Vault-Tec hacks did not have an intellect on the scale of mine'


	12. Rivet CIty Hotel - 30th July 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney finds it hard to remain amoral

The same thought hit Sydney the moment consciousness flashed across her mind as every other morning. Before she was aware of her surroundings, the identity of the person lying naked beside her, or the gross taste in her mouth.  
'Where are you?' she whispered to the inanimate object. In her amorous inebriated state the night before, she had still made certain to leave her duffel bag just under her side of the bed. Other nights, if no such cavity existed, she would simply sleep clutching the canvas. A probing hand clutched it. She was relieved, and could now concentrate on her throbbing headache, growling stomach, and regret.  
The man beside her didn't stir as she removed herself from the bed. She had been more haphazard in discarding her clothes, having to comb over the entire room to find everything. She found herself clad in everything but the white top, brown leather jacket feeling cold on her bare skin.  
'Ah, I know'  
The elusive garment was draped over the towel rail in the small en suite bathroom. Stepping into the room, she was hit by the smell of the vomit that hadn't made it into the steel toilet and almost added to it.  
'I admire your dedication, whoever you are. I definitely threw up before you fucked me'  
Sydney finished dressing and left the hotel room, having no intention of waking the man. She didn't even bother to turn him over to see his face. The only information she gleaned since waking up was that he was a freelancer of some kind. He had various scars but she didn't recognise his clothes as belonging to any group.  
As she passed the hotel front desk, she caught the eye of the clerk on duty.  
'Good morning!' the young man called,'Are you checking out madam?'  
'Uh, nah. It's not my room. Room 42. The guy that rented it is still in there'  
'Uh. Okay, have a good day'  
'Right' she groaned.  
She definitely recalled telling the stranger it was her room. In truth it was one she left unlocked before she started drinking in the Rudder the night before. At the base of the stairwell she faced temptation. On the left was the market, promising hot food to banish the foul taste in her mouth. On the right was the exit to the shore bridge, the route home. She rifled through the black and blue bag, lined with red and gold detailing, for the little tied leather pouch. Emptying the contents into her hand, she counted ten bronze, four silver, and seventeen gold caps. Sydney's head turned left to right several times. Finally she groaned.  
'Rainy day. Sorry belly, got to wait a little longer'  
She headed right, pulling the single lens sunglasses from her bag to counteract the oppressive daylight. It did nothing against the heat. Once outside, she couldn't take her jacket off quick enough, losing her footing in the process. The guardsman on duty chuckled unsympathetically at her almost falling over the side of the bridge. Leaning on the railing, Sydney could see the blue glow underwater in the shadow of the ship. The luminescent cable stretched from the vessel to Shore City, carrying power from the Arc reactor nestled in the Bow. She gave herself a moment, unsure if the stumble would make her throw up again, before continuing across the span.  
Shore City, named colloquially by the residents of the settlement and Rivet, had been transformed by the electrification. The tents had been removed. Some corrugated metal shacks still stood, only as their occupants had chosen to do so. Four buildings lining the promenade had been colonised, one of which was Sydney's. Hers was a tower block overlooking the Navy Yard. Only the first seven floors were inhabited, which she bypassed. On the seventh floor, the stairwell was blocked by a ceiling collapse. The existence of the obstacles was a relief to her, sweating from the heat and the ascent. It meant the settlers' upward encroachment had paused. Listening for any approaching interlopers, she ducked into a store cupboard. A chair against the door gave her the privacy to completely undress. It never felt right, doing such an act in a filthy room, but she went ahead. With bare feet on the cold floor, she pulled the suit from the bag. The modular body suit covered all of her up to the neck in tough neoprene augmented with thin metallic plating, colour matching the bag. She had been regretting not using the shower in the hotel, then rationalised that the journey would have left her a mess anyway.  
'Right. Let's go home'  
The first switch she pressed on her suit deployed a concealed visored helmet, covering her whole head. Her ears popped as the pressure inside equalised. Sydney's vision was yellow, with suit information in the corner of the wide visor. The bag was zipped up and placed over her shoulder, with an additional cable plugged into the small computer on her wrist. The same device lit up green. It was ready. She always closed her eyes during this part. One push of a button and she vanished, bag included, reducing in size to barely more than a milimetre. The size reduction happened so fast, pulling her into her centre of mass, almost a metre off the ground. Before she fell, the secondary ability of the suit kicked in. Four crystalline membranous wings unfolded from her back and began beating twenty times per second. Without any input from her, the suit kept her hovering in place until Sydney opened her eyes. She darted to the keyhole, leaving the door barricaded by the chair. Touching down, she skipped over the parts of the mechanism, then dived out into the stairwell. A hole in the blockage no larger than a fist gave her access to the floors above. Around her, Sydney saw flakes of grey dust falling in the abandoned apartments and hallways. Her home was within the last domicile on the fifteenth floor. She had recently relocated in the face of the expanding colonisation of the floors below.  
A plain metal box sat on the windowsill, easily confused for a tool holder. Sydney landed on the chipped white paint by the object. Before her was a small door. A key from her suit gave her access. Once the tiny access point was closed behind, she retracted the helmet. Her home had the appearance of one of the nicer apartments found in Rivet City. She had covertly looked around the properties owned by Tony Stark and his girlfriend before collecting items for her miniature home. Light came through a glass wall that pressed against the broken window, as well as views of the ship and southern DC beyond. Beyond fancy furniture and entertainment such as a television and radio, her home was a technological marvel. As part of her routine, Sydney checked the single microfusion cell that powered it. A meter gave her three weeks before a replacement would have to be found. Hearing her move around the home, a striped tabby cat emerged from the bedroom. Sydney smiled and fawned over the miniscule creature, dropping to her knees and petting it.  
'Hello Gary. I've missed you. Yes I have. Have you been behaving while mommy was away?'  
The cat purred and rubbed itself against her legs.  
Another choice faced her. She could eat straight away, using the stocked kitchen still in her suit, or shower first. Thoughts of removing the suit and dousing herself in warm water was too good to pass up.  
It only made the breakfast she made herself better, after over an hour of anticipation. The smell of bacon and eggs frying was enthralling, a sensation only bested by eating the plate stacked high. As she cast the metal plate into the sink with the pan, her watch beeped.  
'Damnit. Already?'  
Gary looked at her from his perch on the kitchen top. He had worked out long ago what her alarm meant. It was time to go to work.  
*  
Sydney flew directly back to Rivet City, taking a high trajectory from her box apartment to the very top of the tower. In her rush, she simply used the vacant command bridge to return to normal size. The suit was climate controlled, so she threw a battle scarred jacket and jeans over it. The clothes were enough to convince her employer she was just an effective yet plucky scavenger.  
Abraham Washington asked so few questions about the sourcing of the articles in his museum that it sometimes concerned Sydney. One of her first jobs for him was to recover a propeller, gun, or other notable component from a World War 2 American aircraft. She returned with the miniaturised entirety of a North American P-51 Mustang, lifted from the Hazy Centre at Dulles airport. Out of hours, she cleared floor space in the hangar and restored it. She stood there for twenty minutes while the old coot fawned over the ancient machine, expecting to at least be asked how she got it there. He didn't. The next day he had a maintenance crew suspend the fighter from the ceiling.  
Today, she bumped into the balding septuagenarian as she entered the museum.  
'Ohh, I do apologise Miss Van Dien I didn't see you there. How are you this lovely morning?'  
'I'm swell Abe. Swell. Got anything for me today?'  
He smiled and led her to the round information desk in the middle of the hangar, taking a seat and producing a notebook.  
'I've been shuffling things around and think we have a spare room for a new exhibit'  
He placed the book down, pointing to a roughly sketched diagram of the hangar and subrooms that made up his history centre.  
'I think it's time we showed the people the life of one of our greatest presidents. The man that ended the civil war himself!'  
He smiled and looked at her intently. Sydney just shrugged and shook her head.  
'Kennedy?'  
'Nooo' he huffed, ruffling her hair, 'Abraham Lincoln himself! There's the memorial at the end of the national Mall that's sure to have some goodies lying around. Stark's friend JARVIS also said there may have been a special exhibition going on at the Natural History Museum at the time the bombs fell. Could you check those places out Sweet Thing?'  
'Sure Abe. No problem. You know the drill'  
He laughed and nodded, producing a roll of ten gold caps.  
'There's two hundred there. Price for items retrieved negotiated on delivery?'  
'That will be perfect Abraham. I'll be back as soon as I find what you're after'  
Out in the corridor, her cheerful demeanor diminished slightly. She always claimed the downpayment was used to procure supplies and hire mercenaries, despite never using either. The only equipment she ever used were the small metal discs kept in the belt pouch of her suit. Those with a red centre would shrink objects, whereas blue ones regrew them. Her father had also designed a collapsible faraday container for modifying the size of multiple items, or even living things. Gary was the first successful test of the device, which Hank Pym had callously carried out on his then-teenaged daughter's kitten.  
It was the location of the job that brought her mood down. The National Mall was a mess, even by the standards of the rest of DC. She'd been hoping Washington would send her on an easy recovery job to Alexandria Library.  
Sydney found herself back on the very top of the ship. She could see the spire that marked the centre of the mall peering over the broken buildings of the city. Her target was half a mile due west of the skyward spike. A call tone rang in her helmet seconds after it enclosed her head.  
'What do you want dad?'  
'I'm just checking you're okay Syd. You know I've been worried since you turned the suit tracker off'  
'I don't need you knowing where I am'  
'I told you, it was just a precaution if you get into trouble-'  
'Three years in and no trouble yet. The whole point of the suit is to avoid trouble. That's enough'  
'Alright. Okay Syd. Any issues with it? I've had a few ideas for a software over-'  
'Look, Dad...the Wasp suit is fine. It's more than fine. Look I…'  
Her finger hovered over the red button to end the call on her wrist computer. She couldn't stop the cascade of memories every time she spoke to her father. Sydney was born in the small community in north west DC called Grayditch. Hank shared parenting duties equally with her mother, Janet, until his research project consumed him. He had been working on a technology capable of altering the space between atoms. Early tests used ants, their exoskeletons acting as natural protective fields. These same tests were responsible for the creation of an entire colony of dog sized insects within the metro tunnels. When Sydney was fourteen, Janet spent a week in Hank's lab, nestled within the Grayditch metro station. Hank returned to his estranged daughter alone and heartbroken. All Sydney was told was that her mother was lost during an experiment gone wrong. The scientist couldn't find the words to explain the tragedy to his own daughter. Sydney left Grayditch, choosing to live with her mother's family in Rivet City before she was old enough to strike out alone.  
The results of the test that cost him his wife ultimately lead to Hank completing the research into what he dubbed 'Pym Particles'. The strange red viscous liquid had the ability to transform anything it came into contact with. He sent the Wasp suit to Sydney on her twentieth birthday after learning that she made a living as a scavenger. It wasn't enough for her to forgive him, but did end a six year silence between daughter and father.  
'I'm going to The Mall. It might be hairy. If it does, I'll call you' she said to him, flatly.  
'Syd…' he sighed.  
He couldn't remember the last time she accepted anything from him.  
'Gotta go. Bye dad'  
She ended the call, but stared blankly at the computer on her wrist for a few moments after.  
*  
The Lincoln Memorial wasn't empty. She counted at least twenty armed men either inside or manning sandbag bunkers on the stairs. Syd sat on top of the sitting statue in an effort to work out who they were. The head had been removed, leaving the president's neck as her perch. Their weapons and equipment seemed mismatched.  
'Hmm. You aren't mercs. I can tell that much'  
She went for a closer look. Two men sat in a machine gun nest at the foot of the steps. Both seemed preoccupied with keeping watch over the murky reflecting pool stretching to the spire. Sydney sat casually on the end of the tilted gun barrel, waiting for them to see her.  
'Sup?'  
The pair looked around and up in response to her voice.  
'Over here boys'  
She grew in size, leaping and leaning against the weapon. They recoiled in surprise.  
'What the fuck?'  
'So what's kicking? You guys tourists?'  
The man on her right moved to draw his pistol, only to receive a swift kick to the face. Sydney kept him pinned with her foot, pointing a small laser blaster at him. His partner froze. Her eyes flicked around, none of the other armed men had noticed them yet.  
'I asked you a polite question. Who the hell are you?'  
She followed their gaze to the left. A man in spiked metal armor stood watching her, his expression neutral. The gunner's reaction and his calm demeanor led Sydney to assume he was their leader.  
'They're with me. Silas Caldwell'  
She narrowed her eyes, then pulled back the helmet, gun still pointed at the downed man. Caldwell raised both empty hands. Only then did she leave the stand off.  
'Sydney Van Dien'  
'I saw them draw first. I apologise, these guys are far from home' the leader said, 'Come, I'll tell you all about us over a drink'  
'You had me at the word drink buddy'  
Caldwell frowned.  
'That...was the last word I said'  
'I know. Lead the way'  
She wandered up the stairs lazily behind him, feeling the eyes of the dozen armed men on her as she went.  
'What? Never seen a chick in a skintight body suit before?' she remarked.  
Inside the white stone monolith, Silas had a whole camp set up. He pulled a brown bottle from a steel crate and sat at a round wooden deck table. Sydney looked at the glass of dark rum when it was pushed to her.  
'Its half eleven. Why not'  
She knocked back the whole thing as the man sat opposite sipped his.  
'So, Sydney Van Dien' he began, 'What brings you here?'  
'Uh. Money. Got a guy that wants treasures from this ruin. I'm here to dig them up'  
'A scavenger. Huh. See we're here to recover things too'  
'Is that so?'  
'Yeah. See this old fella? Honest Abe? He's a bit of a figurehead to a bunch of runaways. They're worth a lot of money to us'  
She finally clicked. The group were slavers.  
'You had a breakout from Paradise Falls' she asked.  
'Not quite. A caravan was en route to us from Pittsburgh a few weeks back. Never arrived. Grapevine tells us it was goddamn Captain America that intervened. Wiped out a ten man crew and let the slaves free'  
'The man hates free enterprise' she smirked, 'So you think they're coming here?'  
'Oh we know it. One of our recon team caught a straggler. He spilled the beans before he died'  
Sydney bit her tongue at the unfolding story, wanting nothing more than to grab whatever loot was around and leave.  
'If they're coming here, they're gonna be armed. Don't quote me Silas, but I expect a freed slave would die before returning to bondage'  
He rubbed his chin as she spoke, then poured her a second glass of the spiced spirit.  
'Any outcome is a win for us. They could surrender wholesale. Some die and the rest give up, they're slaves, not sure soldiers. Or they all die. Sends a message still'  
He pulled a small square tin from his vest, opening it on the table.  
'You, and that interesting suit of yours, could end this bloodlessly. We lost three guys to muties up in Farragut. Their pay could be yours'  
He saw the twinkle in her eyes as they flicked from the stack of caps to him.  
*  
Three hours later, Sydney sat once again on the statue of the Memorial's namesake. The afternoon sun was slowly moving across the floor towards her. For almost half an hour her mind had been unusually calm. Her communicator ringing ended that.  
'Dad. Hey'  
Sydney's cheerful greeting surprised her as much as her father.  
'Syd. You still out on the Mall?'  
'Yeah. Things got...uh. messy. Long story'  
'Messy?'  
She idly looked down at the metal tin in her hands.  
'Yeah. Did some things I didn't think I'd do. Not sure how to feel now'  
'Where are you?'  
'Lincoln's lap. I'm...I'm uh'  
'Sydney?' he said softly.  
'I'm gonna come see you. Grayditch in an hour. I'll see you at home'  
She didn't want to hear him respond, ending the call and looking down. For a second she watched the single tear fall between her knees.  
The man at the foot of the statue called up to her.  
'Uh Ma'am? Got a minute?'  
She got up and gently descended, feeling the vibrations of the wings against her back. The man still held the scuffed assault rifle tightly in both hands.  
'Hey' she smiled.  
'Just gotta thank you. For your part in this. I wish it hadn't gone this way but they left us no choice'  
She gazed at him. The wisps of grey hair falling past his bearded chin. Her words got caught up somewhere. Trying to find them, Sydney found herself looking around at the bodies littering the memorial. Over near the table she spied Silas Caldwell draped against the wall. His armor peppered with laser burns.  
'I don't know why you chose to help us, but my gratitude will last until the end. I am Hannibal Hamlin, leader of the free slave Temple of the Union'  
'I uh. I don't usually do this kind of shit so...yeah I'll be off'  
'Wait, I don't even know your name'  
Before his protest ended, she was gone, a tiny speck zipping between the columns.  
'Just call me Wasp' she called back.


	13. Evergreen Mills - August 7th 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Samantha face a potential second apocalypse

'I don't get it Rogers' Rex sighed.  
James 'Rex' Rexford had been promoting Steve's fights since the first time he threw a man into the crowd at his first bout. His office was in the highest ring of the arena. The bustle of the raider town came in through a broken window behind Rogers. He idly played with the buttons on his cream coloured henley shirt as the man spoke.  
'That bloodbath you brought with the Mutant? Fantastic. Made some serious moolah. You haven't wasted a single sucker since'  
Steve shrugged.  
'And your point?'  
'These guys? The jet heads, lowlifes, dime a dozen killers that pay to watch you fight? They fucking loved it. Why do you pull your punches?'  
'I still make money, don't I?'  
'It's steady, but nothing like the ones following the showdown with Crastigus. You two had history, I get that. Made it intense, dramatic'  
'So you want more theatrics Rex? I don't know anyone else to have history with'  
'You just gotta make them think you do. You play to it, I know you do. Come by here tomorrow and we'll spitball some ideas'  
Steve chuckled and looked down at his folded arms.  
'Yeah. Sure. Come on, you know why I'm here'  
Rex put a cigarette in his mouth, flipped open a zippo with one hand, and threw the weighty bag of caps with the other.  
At the gate to Evergreen Mills, nestled in the narrow point of the canyon, an exchange had just taken place. Four members of a gang known as the Void Wolves had just bought a white twenty kilogram cannister from a passing scavenger. The heavy freight car door slid shut behind them as their haul was carried between them. Their twitching excitement caught the attention of the Mill sentry.  
'Yo what the fuck is that shit you got?'  
'This? It's hardcore stuff. Uh. Rage!' the skinny, bare chested Void Wolf gloated.  
'The fuck is rage numbskull?'  
'It's a drug. Gotta be. Why else would it be called Rage? It's like Psycho... probably'  
'Great. You Void retards are bad enough with Jet'  
The three men and single woman couldn't wait, settling into a vacant shack with only two sheet metal walls.  
'Come on, come on. Hurry up' the woman urged.  
She pulled a balloon from her studded brown corset and stretched it between her fingers. The topless Void Wolf messed with the valve until gas was released into the balloon through the valve on the tank. She didn't hesitate to inhale the unknown contents. Her compatriots watched her eagerly. She pursed her lips, then winced.  
'Well? Is it good shit?'  
'Its...uh'  
Her jaw tightened as she began to convulse. When her friend grabbed her shoulders he saw her eyes flush deep red. Every vein on her face had swollen.  
'Jaz? Jaz you good?'  
Jaz lurched forward, spraying him with blood from her mouth. Before he could recoil she was on him, clawing, biting, and screaming.  
Ninety seconds later, back at the arena, the sound of clashing metal, screams, and gunfire caught Steve's attention.  
'What was that?'  
The arms of the woman beneath him reached up to caress his hair, her various bracelets and bangles tickling his neck.  
'It's just the sound of Evergreen Rogers. You gotta be used to it by now' Sasha purred.  
The ruckus outside was too much to ignore, and it was getting louder. He got up, tightening his belt.  
'No something is happening'  
Sasha sat back on the bed, sighing and zipping up her leather jacket.  
'Its just a fight going on'  
Claire stepped into the room from the covered deck. Her cigarette was only half finished but discarded anyway.  
'Steve's right. I know the sound of the crowd. That ain't it'  
The door of the prefab flying open drew the attention of the three. The stranger was from a gang none of them recognised. He slammed the door behind him and sank to the floor, cursing and shaking.  
'Yo what the hell is going on out there?' Steve called.  
He approached the man, Claire and Sasha looking over his shoulders.  
'She bit me' the twitching man grunted, 'she fucking bit me. It's game over'  
'Who bit you?'  
He showed them the bloody wound on his shaking wrist.  
'You little bitch that's barely a scratch-' Sasha began to chide.  
A heavy thud against the wooden door cut her off. The injured man tensed up completely, arms straight to his side, then let out a primal howl. He flew at Rogers, knocking both over a sofa. Steve struggled to get a grip over the flailing man, seemingly trying to bite him. Claire slammed a hatchet into his back, freeing Steve from the grapple.  
'Okay what the fuck is going on?' she cursed.  
Rogers was up and at the door as the hammering became heavier, more frantic. The frame splintered around the handle. Clawing hands reached in grabbing at him. Both women were now armed with long blades. Without prompt they lent their weight to Rogers, hacking at the limbs until the door could be closed.  
'The halberd!' he called.  
Sasha pulled away, returning with the two handed polearm which they used to brace the entrance. The roars of the people outside was endless, punctuated by hammering fists on the door and walls. The trio stepped back.  
'What's wrong with them?' Claire called.  
'I don't know. That guy said he was bitten. Get armored and cover what you can. We need to leave Evergreen' Steve replied.  
The three of them did what they could with the elements in the room. Sasha pulled a heavy metal cuirass over her leather jacket, covered her forearms and wrists with bladed gauntlets, and wielded long knives in reverse grips. Claire dug out one of the few firearms in the room, her own automatic shotgun with a drum magazine. She accepted Steve's offer to carry the 10 kilogram, 32 round spares. Rogers paused for a moment before clearing junk from a black trunk box. The uniform he pulled drew the women's attention. He paid them no heed. The armored suit brought unwelcome memories, ones he had to suppress to face the challenge ahead.  
'Wait, hold the fuck up, you're-' Sasha began.  
'I was. Not any more. Does it matter?' Rogers snapped.  
She shook her head, flexing her grip on the blades.  
'So, what now? We burst out of here and hope for the best?' Claire asked when the three of them were ready.  
Wood began to crack and splinter in the frame around the door. Cut and bleeding arms forced themselves through a window, snaking around the metal bars.  
'Not exactly'  
He retrieved the long handled sledge hammer from the wall, still stained with mutant blood. It was simple for him to stand atop the bed and punch a hole through the ceiling.  
'Come on!' he urged.  
Sasha threw her weapons through, finding humour as Steve launched her after them. She caught Claire's shotgun as the door gave way.  
'Sasha! Rain fire!' Rogers called to the woman on the roof.  
The first few enraged raiders through the door were eviscerated by Sasha firing blind. Steve threw Claire with more urgency, sending her clear out of the room. He stepped down from the bed, to the women's surprise, then kicked the whole piece of furniture to the attackers. The metal legs of the frame embedded in the walls around the door, scattering the baying crowd long enough for him to get on the roof.  
Claire and Sasha had exchanged weapons and gazed around at the unfolding chaos around them. The half built shacks and huts gave no protection to the squatters and family groups in the rail yard. All had fallen into the swarming mass of blood rage and violence. Below Rogers' feet, the horde that had broken in raised their arms fruitlessly towards him, gathered around the hole in the ceiling.  
Gun fire drew their attention to a Foreman's office near the foundry. Three Raiders had made it to the sanctuary of the rooftop.  
'He's bleeding. Fuck one of them is bit' Sasha observed, pointing.  
They could only watch the injured man fall and begin convulsing, unseen by his comrades.  
'Shoot him! Shoot him before he turns!'  
Steve's desperate cries only distracted the survivors, over the roars of the infected, long enough for the downed man to lunge at them. All three fell into the bloody mass gathered under the cabin.  
'Fuck' he cursed.  
He noticed Claire's shoulders drop in the corner of his vision.  
From his apartment's location, they couldn't see the gatehouse, being on the opposite side of the fighting arena. Steve's mind focused only on containment. The only way out of the steep sided gorge was the railway line to the east.  
'We need to get to the gate' he stated.  
'No shit buddy' Sasha retorted.  
'Not to escape. To stop this getting out'  
'It's a nice thought hero boy, but we're surrounded by fuckers that want to eat us. We'll starve if those loonies don't climb up to us first'  
Rogers looked to the nearest structures. Several train cars were lined up close between them and the tall red brick foundry. The solid iron gates of the building were closed, with a sizeable group of infected hammering on them. If they could cross the four metre gap between their building and the nearest rolling stock, the foundry could give them a chance, he thought.  
'Holster your pieces, you're gonna need both hands'  
Only when Rogers released a pole from the arena scaffolding did they get what he meant. He held the length of metal with both arms behind his head, offering the end to Sasha. Claire, outwardly skeptical, let her go first.  
'Christ this is ridiculous. Get me over there fast before I slip'  
He took her weight, feeling Claire take hold on the other end to counterbalance. Sasha spent the precarious seconds dangling over the clawing crowd with her legs tucked, barely inches from hands that would pull her to her death.  
'Right well that isn't gonna work for me with just you on this side' Claire observed, 'Lay it down on the roof and hold it still, understand?'  
Rogers went one step further. Lying the beam down between the cabin and the freight car, he hit the round end with the offer of the shield, flattening it.  
'That gives me some comfort. Wish me luck Nomad'   
He held the beam with both hands and between his knees, mirrored by Sasha on the other side. Claire removed her boots, tying them together and hanging them around her neck. Her bare feet gripped the cold metal. In her mind, the pole was feet above empty ground. Slowing her breath helped her ignore the frantic masses swirling below her. Claire's outstretched arms gave her balance, though intense focus on the freight car roof kept her level as she took tiny steps. Sasha laughed in releif and seized her when she made it. Both women then turned to Steve.  
'We'll hold the beam. Come on!' Claire called.  
'No, I'll never make it that way. Hang on'  
He hooked the hammer on his back, under the shield, then pulled the scaffold pole over. Taking a few steps from the edge, he aimed the beam towards the red freight car. Releasing a sigh, he accepted that lingering would only delay the inevitable. He ran. Just before the lip he rammed the pole down. The length impaled an infected raider, driving the half armored figure into the earth. It gave him the fulcrum he prayed for. His hands gripped the metal, rocking freely over the angry mass. The infected tried too late to grab the vaulting pole. It hit the freight car, jolting Steve until he let go. His feet slipped on contact, sending him rolling over to the side of the boxcar. Scrambling hands made purchase, letting him pull himself free from clawing hands between the wagons. Claire and Sasha helped him up, only for the former to put the AA-12 barrel to his head.  
'Too bad pretty boy' she sneered, tilting her head.  
He looked back, having not felt the teeth break the skin above his ankle.  
'Wait. Wait Claire. Give me every second, then do it' he said, hands raised.  
She obliged him, letting Steve stand facing them on the edge of the freight car. He closed his eyes and counted in his head. Once past thirty he winced and looked at Sasha, who looked at Claire. The gun was lowered.  
'Your number isn't up yet 'Captain'. Come on'  
The trio went one by one, jumping the gaps between freight cars in calculated haste. The last one left them only feet away from an external gantry on the first floor of the foundry. The swarming infected had followed them the whole way. Some had become wedged and stuck where derailed cars converged.  
'They're angry but stupid as hell. Shouldn't be hard to stay a step ahead' Steve observed.  
He gave each woman a leg up to the safety of the metal walkway, leaping up after them. A door beside them opened, slamming against the wall. Weapons were raised in response, before Steve recognised the newcomers pointing guns at them.  
'Rex. God am I glad to see you'  
'Nomad, you son of a bitch. Here we were thinking those fuckers had learned to climb'  
'Not yet. What's the situation in here?'  
Rexford guided Steve, Claire and Sasha inside, giving them a moment to sit and gather themselves in a ruined office overlooking the factory level. The promoter, in his stained and torn suit, spun a chair round and sat facing them.  
'It just fell apart so fast. We got everyone suddenly running around screaming. I was by the entrance and made the call to bar it' he leaned on one knee, rubbing his cheek, 'There were people out there when we dropped the bar. People who weren't, you know, like that yet'  
'Ya did what you had to do to live' Claire said.  
'Rex, how many are in here?' Rogers asked.  
'I don't know. The bazaar down in the caves is in full swing. Don't think half of them even know what's going on up here'  
Steve stood up, dusting off a patch of dust on his shoulder.  
'Get down there, tell them, and get a tally. Is there a guy on the roof?'  
'Yeah, Goggle lives up there'  
'Okay. I take it the Mills bosses are all dead or missing, so you're in charge Rex'  
'What? But-'  
'Just do it. Get what supplies the traders have. We might be here a while. Claire, Sasha? Make sure they listen to him'  
The women joined the raiders already accompanying Rexford down to the underworks, parting with Steve at the stairwell. He went to the massive double doors to the building first, placing a hand flat on the solid steel bar holding them closed. The entrance hall was deserted, the usual drifters and denizens fleeing deeper into the building after Rex had it sealed.  
'It would take a behemoth to open this' Steve sighed.  
He could hear the faint but rapid thud of frantic fists and bodies on the other side. A thought came to him. Beside the great doors was a small sign, one that has been long disregarded by the building's current occupiers. The printed on plate metal had rust creeping in on the corners and partially obscured by grime. A wipe from the back of Steve's glove revealed the fire safety information.  
'Shit' he cursed.  
He ripped the sign from the wall, long rusted screws breaking and pinging on the dry concrete floor. Through corridors, smelting halls, and offices he darted. Once close to the exterior walls he slowed down, aware of the sounds of his feet. He listened for anything other than the creak of his leather boots. A sensation hit the hair on his arms that he dreaded. A air current came faintly from the direction of the fire exit on the sign.  
He backed against the wall next to the room with external access. Peering round he saw the grisly aftermath of a fight. Three infected people, slaves by the look of their clothes, tore at a fallen raider enforcer. Behind them, the steel security door sat open. The hold on his hammer and shield tightened. He had to neutralise all three and close the door without attracting the attention of whoever could be outside. The weather took his side. Heavy rain began to fall, pattering against the steel fire escape that wound up the side of the building. Rogers exhaled, and walked upright into the room. Only him deliberately clearing his throat caught their attention. He slammed the door closed behind him, twirling and lunging forward. His offensive knocked the men down, giving him time to secure the exterior door. Hands clawed at his shoulders, pulling him back. A sharp swing of the shield released him, followed by a savage strike by the hammer that stoved in an assailant's skull. One infected redoubled his assault, seizing Steve's right forearm with nails and teeth. He felt the pressure of the bite, but his kevlar weave resisted. He slammed the man's head into the brick wall, sending a shower of brick dust and brain matter around. The last infected was launched back with a kick to the chest. Steve went on the attack, throwing the shield to decapitate the staggered man against the far wall. He felt like he hadn't released a breath throughout the engagement, putting his hands on his knees. Sweat dripped from his beard, falling into the patch of blood on the floor. The door was checked one final time, hearing no noise from outside, then he returned to his original mission to the top of the building.  
Goggle was strange, even to his raider compatriots. The well built man had been cooped up in the self built penthouse for the best part of a decade. Most assumed he had been driven mad by excessive chem use, causing him to obsess over a collection of long range optics of all sizes. The scrap cabin he had assembled atop the foundry's fifteenth floor was perforated with lines of sight in all directions. Mill leadership let the bizarre loner be in exchange for advance warning of any approaching threat.  
He was gazing east, beyond the gate, when Steve entered his home. Without taking his eyes from the telescope, he addressed the newcomer.  
'Steve Rogers. Capt'n. Nomad'  
'Yes. That's impressive' Rogers replied, 'I take it you saw me stash the bike before I came in?'  
'Yup. Saw that blond raider chick take it too. Nothing gets past me'  
He finally turned, giving Steve a look at him. Goggle's chestnut hair was scruffily self cut, his thin face host to thick rimmed glasses.  
'What happened out there?'  
'Bad drugs. Some do-nuthin's brought in something they didn't understand. Turned them just by the gate and it swept in'  
'Have any gone beyond the gatehouse? This can't spread beyond Evergreen' Steve said.  
'Nope. Yer lucky there. Gate guards were ripped apart before any could get loose. Now the only sane...kinda sane folks left are in the foundry below us'  
He offered the use of the optic to Rogers. Through it he saw the trail of gore and brutality leading to the jackknifed rail car blocking the canyon. No infected were near it, having all be drawn to the survivors in the foundry. As he angled the telescope back he saw a cluster of people around the arena.  
'Hmm. Let me give you my frequency Goggle. I'm gonna need your help if we're gonna get out of this alive'  
*  
Rogers found Rexford, Claire,, Sasha, and an unknown Raider lieutenant back at the first floor office where they first convened. The promoter sat back on the same chair, removing his white hat.  
'We got seventy eight down there. About half that are any good in a fight. Got what you needed from Goggle?'  
'He should be just about done yeah. How many?' Steve called into his Pipboy.  
'Two hundred and eight Cap. That's just ones I can see'  
A nervous silence fell on the room. Claire winced. Rexford shuffled uncomfortably in his seat.  
'Great thanks. Keep eyes on the gate'  
Steve kept his Pipboy open, but tuned to a different frequency.  
'This is Steve Rogers, calling on all SWORD channels, come in'  
The Raider leader put a hand on the heavy revolver on his hip, only to get Claire's shotgun levelled at him. She said nothing, only shaking her head.  
'Captain? I thought you were done with us?' came the voice of Agent Sitwell.  
'Not the time Jasper. We have an alpha level threat at location Echo Mike. What's the nearest asset?'  
'Give me a second. STRIKE team Bravo are at Calverton, four clicks from you'  
'Get them to the canyon entrance. Fast as possible'  
*  
Rogers waited until night fell to put his plan into action. He stepped out onto the gantry alone, paying no heed to the horde he quickly attracted. Fires from the day's violence lit up most of the railyard, as well as the lights from the arena that remained active. Getting back to the roof of his cabin was easy alone. Traversing the outside of the arena in the dark posed little challenge, the skeletal frame easy to climb. He moved through the building to the bestiary, finding his earlier assumption to be correct.  
The raiders that corralled the various monsters for the arena fights had long been killed or infected. Their charges remained, locked in cages of all sizes and strength. A reinforced steel prison held two dozen Mutants. The anthropomorphic giants seemed to draw the infected more than Mirelurks, Yao Guai, and various giant bugs. Rogers dropped down to the barred ceiling, catching their attention.  
'You! Monster! Why have you come?' the tallest of them grunted.  
'Well, it looks like we're all in the same little predicament here. Wouldn't you say?'  
'Humans shout and kill eachother. Nothing changed. Nothing new'  
'You got a point. Though the crazies outside your cage look like they want to kill you too'  
'Let them. Mutants will break puny rage humans'  
'So if I did, would you get out of here? Or try to kill the gangs in the foundry?' Steve asked.  
The Mutant took a moment, the eyes of his brethren silently on him. Rogers crouched down to get closer.  
'Mutants leave here'  
'One last catch uh...what's your name?'  
'I am Triton. Biggest and strongest here'  
'Good to meet you Triton. I am Steve Rogers'  
'You are monster that killed Crastigus. Not mutant but not human. You are Pariah. Thing with no people' Triton declared.  
'True, but I'm still locked in here with these bloodthirsty infected just the same as you. What I ask is that you help us kill them all here and now. We can't let this spread beyond the Mills'  
'Mutants not tools for you, Monster. If weak humans can't stop rage disease, it deserves to fall to it. Strong mutants won't protect weak humans'  
Steve sighed. He knew then that there was no reasoning with them. He stood up, recalling the connection to STRIKE team Bravo.  
'This is Cap. Give me a sitrep'  
'We are set up in the canyon. Elevated positions with no access from the ground without gear, over' came the response.  
'Right good. I'm gonna set things in motion. Anything comes through that gate is fair game'  
'ROE received. Copy that Captain'  
He looked down again at the twisted, hateful scowls of the manacled Mutants.  
'We could have done this as one. You're on your own Triton'  
Steve dropped two keys down between the bars. One to release their chains. The other would open the cage that confined them. He didn't stay to watch their bloody escape, leaping back to the steel jungle of the arena. The sound of mutant tearing at infected could be heard from the Mill for an hour after Steve returned. He sat in the trashed office, annoyed at both his own failure and Triton's arrogance. Claire joined him once the roars of the enraged people was all that was left.  
'Why the long face pretty boy? Those things will never get in here'  
'I know. I just thought we could resolve this in a better way'  
'What do it mean?'  
As she took a seat beside him, he contacted Goggles.  
'Got a new count for me?' Rogers asked.  
'Yeah, good and bad. The mutants killed fifty three before they went down. Bad news is the ruckus brought more out from hiding'  
'Damn it. How many are there now?'  
'Two hundred and thirty one'  
'Great. Thanks'  
'Holy shit there's more of them now?' Claire exclaimed.  
'There were always that many. Better we know exactly what we're facing'  
She studied him closely, imagining what gears were turning in his head.  
'Do you trust me?' he asked her.  
The question caught Claire off guard. Neither Rogers, nor anyone in Evergreen had questioned her in such a way.  
'Why do you ask?'  
'There's a way to save everyone in this building, but it won't go over well with the gangs and traders'  
'I've had no reason to doubt you yet. I've got your back' she nodded.  
*  
A small group assembled in the entrance hall of the foundry, comprising of surviving Raider bosses and the bazaar runners. Rexford and Sasha stood amongst those waiting to hear from Steve. He stood at the top of the stairwell with Claire beside him. Her shotgun was fully loaded and openly carried. Steve's hammer and shield were visible on his back. His appearance in the gear from his time at SWORD caused a ripple of concern in the group.   
'You don't have a lot of friends here bud' Claire hissed.  
'Yeah, I gathered that' he raised a hand to get the group's attention.  
'All right. I know I'm the last person you probably want to see or listen to, but if we're gonna survive this, we need outside help'  
'Who? SWORD? The Rangers? Those fuckers would gladly kill all of us!' came an angry reply.  
The crescendo of cheers didn't give Steve much confidence.  
'At the moment, I do have contact with SWORD-'  
Claire's hand on his shoulder synchronised with a hail of abuse.  
'SWORD are not here to kill you. They are here to help. So far, the infected are only within the canyon and the Mill. Their goal is containment. Between their positions by the gate and our strongpoint here, the infected can be crushed between us'  
A voice rang out that he didn't expect.  
'So we kill the monsters at our door, then SWORD just packs up and leaves? Fuck that. There's no way they won't use this opportunity to cleanse Evergreen'  
The crowd turned inward. Rogers followed the turned heads to Sasha stood in their midst.  
'We...they are not murderers. They are here to help us survive' he pleaded.  
The hand on his shoulder pulled slightly. Claire could tell he had lost what little control he had.  
'Then why are they sitting tight? They're out there waiting for us to die at the hands of these monsters' Sasha continued.  
Steve's chest began to tighten. His eyes flicked to the tiniest of changes in the grips the raiders had on their weapons.  
'They don't have the numbers to erase the thread alone. We need to work together!'  
A concealed communication between a Raider boss and his followers yielded it's fatal outcome. Ten heavily armed members of the gun-obsessed Leadspitter gang broke off from the main group, closing on the entrance to the foundry. Rogers saw them, all other eyes being on him.  
'Hold on. What are you doing?' he yelled.  
The small breakaway group made a firing line against the metal doors, a variety of heavy automatic weapons levelled. Their leader, a burly bearded man by the name of Malchior, addressed his defiance as the bar was lifted.  
'No bunch of angry screaming fuckos is gonna stop us. Me and the boys are splitting!'  
The shot rang over Steve's shoulder, ripping the hearing from his right side. One Leadspitter at the gate collapsed as the slug from Claire's shotgun tore through his shoulder. It was too late. The man dropped his end of the steel bar. The gangers turned on the pair on the stairs as the gate gave way. Rogers reacted, throwing the shield up to cover himself and Claire. The group on the ground fell in on itself, not knowing whether to fight the advancing infected or run. The woman's hand on his shoulder didn't stop Steve pressing forward into the unfolding maelstrom. Within seconds, the Leadspitters were torn apart. Their frenzied salvo cut down the first through the gate, only for those behind to vault the bodies and rip at the gunmen. A momentary salient formed between the turning Leadspitters and those that fled. Steve leapt into the gap, the first infected to rush him was Malchior. The enraged boss received the flat top of the hammer through his face, knocking him and several others back. Scattered fire from Claire's elevated position cut down the horde ahead of him, before covering the stairs before her became a priority. Every shot was counted. When the drum magazine was half empty she called to Rogers.  
'Nomad, get the hell out of there. Move it!'  
Over the swirling sound he heard her. The piles of broken bodies around Steve obstructed the infected, making it hard for him to be overwhelmed. He spun around one last time, the long hammer held on end, giving him space to leap to the walkway above. As he ran parallel to to the stairway guarded by Claire, he threw the shield just as she ran dry. The disc sliced an infected woman in half, embedding in the metal steps. The wedged metal stopped the advancing horde long enough for Claire to reload and Steve to rejoin her.  
'Top of the foundry! Go!' he told her.  
She nodded and left him.  
The bunched mass of crazed raiders blocked the narrow ascent to where Steve momentarily gathered himself. Everyone on ground level was dead or infected, the bulk of them streaming from the open gate through to the factory floor and caves.  
To give himself extra seconds to escape, Rogers hooked the single bar handrail on the stairs and broke it, sending the infected falling to the ground below as they tried to grab him. The shield was pried loose and he was running. Claire had left the iron banded wooden door to the stairwell open. The weight of the bodies behind him kept it closed.  
He faced the 12 gauge barrel for a second time when he emerged on the roof.  
'Just you?' Claire demanded, nodding to let him pass.  
'Yes. Door's shut but it won't hold us for long'  
They closed and barred the roof access door, hearing the faint echoes of pounding fists far below. Goggle nonchalantly stepped out of his hut once they were done.  
'They got in I guess?' he sighed.  
Behind them, tendrils of crimson light pierced the horizon in the east.  
'I couldn't stop them. It's just a matter of time before they get up here' Steve replied.  
He sat on the edge of roof, gazing over the destroyed town. When his Pipboy flashed, he responded to the inbound communication.  
'This is Captain Rogers. Go ahead'  
'Captain? CO Kretschmann from STRIKE team Bravo. We have seventy eight confirmed kills at the gate, but they've stopped coming suddenly'  
'Copy that. Foundry is breached. I have three confirmed uninfected on the rooftop with me but that's it. No way down. No way out'  
He tapped the side of the wrist computer when signal to the STRIKE leader cut out.  
'Well...damn it' he muttered.  
'Cap?' came an unfamiliar voice through the radio.  
He looked at the frequency, then held the device close again.  
'Cap you there?'  
'Yeah, who is this?'  
'It's the fucking cavalry kiddo, look up'  
Samantha tucked her wings in for a vertical dive from several hundred feet up. Near the roof of the foundry she feathered, slowing down rapidly and touching down. Steve had stood up to meet the arrival.  
'Heard a lot about you Captain Rogers' she smiled, pulling up the red flight goggles.  
'Same for you Falcon. Call me Steve. Steve Rogers'  
'Sam Wilson' she replied.  
He accepted her gloved hand.  
'You part of SWORD?' he asked.  
'Hmm not exactly. Just helping out a mutual friend. He'll be here to exfil you soon. What's gone down here?'  
Goggle and Claire joined the two as Steve got Samantha up to speed.  
'Wow. Fucking zombies? I thought I'd seen everything. Where are they all?'  
'Below us. I blocked off the stairwell when they breached the doors to the Mill'  
Samantha walked to the edge of the roof and peered over to the foundry entrance fifteen storeys down. The pile of bodies remained from the Leadspitters' ill-fated salvo.  
'I have an idea Cap. How brave do you feel?'  
'Whatever it is, I'm in'  
*  
Steve leaned against the door to the stairwell, listening for any sounds from the other side. When none came he leapt to the roof of the blocky protrusion. It only took a few swings to break through the flat tiles. Samantha hovered above and gave him a thumbs up once the gap was wide enough.  
'That will do. Let's go'  
She dropped to the ground, joining Steve to enter the vertical shaft. The space between the walkways was barely two metres, but uniform all the way to the ground floor. The descent gave the two a moment of relative calm to talk.  
'I heard a lot about you from Reilly. You did the Bannister job with her?'  
'I did. A good coincidence, otherwise I would have had to hit the fort with three people. You roll with her?'  
'I roll about with her' Sam laughed, 'She's my better half. Now what the fuck is a man like you doing in a shit heap like this?'  
'Wasting my life mostly. Looks like I really can't escape the fight'  
'I know your background buddy. The Vault and everything. I've been where you are now'  
'Really?'  
'Fuck yeah. Spent years as a dramatic wreck after losing the most important person in my life. Anyway, I'm guessing the mad hollering behind that door are the fuckers that want our guts?'  
'Yeah, that will be them. You ready?'  
'As ready as I'll ever be'  
Sam stood in the centre of the shaft. She shook her hands and skipped about on the rubble. Steve held the shield ahead of him and put a tentative hand on the door.  
'Okay. On three. If they grab me, you gotta promise to bug out Sam. Okay?'  
'It won't come to that Steve. Let's do this'  
He turned the handle, feeling the weight of the bodies on the other side. Turning it all the way, Rogers snapped the metal, sealing it open. He took a step back and counted down.  
'Okay three...two...one'  
He lunged, placing a flat foot on the door. The hinges gave way, sending the heavy mass of wood and steel ploughing into the enraged mass. Rogers turned, seeing the instant fear in Sam's eyes. Every fibre in her body screamed at her to pull up her machine pistols. She resisted, offering only open palms to Steve. He grabbed hold as her jets rocked to full power. Wings coiled around her tightly as her feet left the ground. He couldn't help but close his eyes, dangling underneath her as they ascended through the shaft.  
Screams, roars, and the pounding of furious feet echoed around him, audible even over the jet engines on the winged woman. Samantha's arms were straining under his weight throughout the fifteen second flight. She was relieved to drop him onto the roof once they reached the top.  
She touched down and stood at the very edge directly opposite the open door. Steve, Goggle, and Claire stayed out of sight. As the sound of the approaching horde grew closer, Samantha raised a finger to the comms device in her ear.  
'Yes. He's on the roof, you're clear for extraction' she turned to Steve, 'ten seconds! Get ready!'  
The QuadJet thundered over the cliffside to the west, pitching about on approach to the rooftop. The rear ramp was open, with two Rangers waiting to receive the survivors. Large visors on their helmets obscured the pairs faces as Steve, Claire, and Goggle were ushered aboard. The raider woman took unsteady steps, having never left firm ground before. Goggle insisted on bringing one of his telescopes, clutching it like a parent with child. Steve chose not to be seated next to the other evacuees, remaining at the ramp to watch Samantha's performance.  
She stood poised like a dancer, intensely watching the doorway. When the first of the scrambling horde reached the top she threw both arms out to the side. The wings followed, making a large display to taunt the infected.  
'Come on you ugly mother fuckers' she whispered.  
She dropped backwards just out of their reach. Before hitting the ground she fired up the EXO-7's propulsion and angled up. Facing the foundry she watched the stream of infected throwing themselves off the roof, arms desperately reaching to her. She stayed, hovering just by the lip of the roof to keep the horde coming.  
Steve watched the suicidal human waterfall, recognising some Raiders as they passed. Only when he saw Sasha, covered in blood and bite marks, did he turn away. He sat next to Claire in silence, looking at the floor of the cabin. He didn't look up when the aircraft moved, gently turning and flying back over Evergreen Mills eastbound. The QuadJet landed just beyond the canyon. A small but busy firebase had been set up, manned by Rangers and SWORD personnel. Mobile walls were being erected fifty feet from the freight car gate of the dead settlement. A single suited figure stepped on to the aircraft and sat opposite Steve.  
'I thought you'd at least be curious as to who is flying this thing' Coulson said after a moment.  
Rogers looked at him briefly, but said nothing. The agent turned instead to the other survivors.  
'You two friends of his? I'm agent Philip Coulson of SWORD'  
'I'm Claire Rowfield. This is Goggle'  
Steve laughed, catching strange looks from the woman.  
'Sorry, it's just. It took this happening to find out your last name'  
'I didn't know yours until you introduced yourself to the winged chick. We had a casual acquaintance so who cares?'  
Claire sighed, turning back to the agent.  
'It's good to meet you Miss Rowfield. I'm extending my condolences on behalf of SWORD for this tragedy. If the three of you could help us paint a picture of what transpired here, we can work to stop it happening again' Coulson explained.  
'I saw it all. I know what caused it' Goggle said.  
The unassuming man had seen the three gangers bring the mysterious gas into the Raider town, and its rapid spread to the entire population.  
As the debrief went ahead for Coulson, Samantha's mission continued. She used dropped flairs and incendiaries to draw the infected out of the foundry. Barely ten feet off the ground, she led the horde to the waiting firing line in the canyon. Without prompt, Claire chose to climb the raised platform nearest the QuadJet, levelling her weapon at the encroaching horde. As the last of the infected were mowed down, the armored ranger beside her turned.  
'You're from in there huh?' Corporal Watts asked.  
'Yeah. Last but one survivor of this stupid town'  
'You're pretty good with that shooter. We could use someone like you in the Rangers'  
'Screw it. Give me a roof over my head and I'm yours'  
'Good enough. I'm Jessica Watts, Delta company'  
'Claire Rowfield...from nowhere'  
Back in the QuadJet, Rogers only shook from his fugue state when the pilot of the vehicle emerged from the cockpit.  
'Are you done being AWOL Captain Rogers?' James called.  
Steve stood upright and raised a hand to his head in salute.  
'Put your arm down son, at ease. I'm not your CO anymore. You look like you've been through hell'  
As Rogers sat down, Rhodes perched opposite when Coulson stepped out with Goggle.  
'It didn't take you long to learn to fly Colonel'  
'You wouldn't believe the truth if I told you Steve. You really wouldn't'  
'This is a nice bird. Where did you find her?'  
'In a concealed hangar underneath Reagan Airport. This baby pretty much flies herself'  
James noticed Rogers staring blankly out of the back of the aircraft as he spoke.  
'You lost friends in there huh?'  
'I did. I couldn't save them'  
'You saved that chick and the dude with the glasses. That's what you have to remember. Concentrate on the victories, no matter how small'  
'I...yeah you're right. What happens next? Gonna need a full scale mop up to stop the infection getting loose'  
As Rhodes nodded, Steve was vindicated. Samantha landed just beyond the back ramp, pulled in her wings, and walked aboard.  
'That's all the creeps I could draw out. Now we gotta go in close and dirty. Rogers, the Ranger contingent is going in with me on overwatch. I know you just escaped hell but they could do with someone that knows the place'  
He said nothing, just pulled the strap of his shield tight around his forearm and stood up. The ten members of Ranger squad Delta stood ready at the hastily built barricade. All but Corporal Watts had their face obscured by double canister gas masks when Steve and Sam joined them.  
'Captain Rogers. Your participation in this mission isn't taken lightly. We are appreciative, following the night's events'  
'Thank you. I don't want any more lives lost to whatever it was that hit the Mill'  
'We got the rundown from Coulson and the little speccy fella. He said it was some kind of gas that changed patient zero. Just inside the gate. I know you're a weirdo Steve but you sure you don't want any hazmat?'  
'I'm good. Let's get this done'  
Delta flanked Steve and Samantha, wearing a respirator below her goggles. The pair spoke as they navigated the silent canyon. Her eyes flicked to the rising rock walls as they rose around her.  
'You not hitting the sky yet Sam?'  
'Not yet. When we see any screamers I will. Not when there's something pressing right here'  
'And what's that?'  
'You...Steve. I'm not a shrink, hell I only know about you through Reilly and those tall tales on the radio. When I saw you on the roof, I refused to believe that it was Captain America in front of me'  
'I'm sorry I disappointed you'  
'Fuck it. It was barely a person stood there on that roof. You act like you were ready to give up, but you didn't. Why?'  
'I don't know'  
'Yes you do. I spoke to Claire. That person is still there. He tried to save the lives of all the junkies, cut throats, and lowlifes in the Mill before it fell. It's who you are Steve. Why did you try to fight it?'  
Steve leaned away and frowned at her.  
'I'm beginning to think that Fury sent you specifically to bring me back into the fold'  
'Dude, fuck Fury. Fuck SWORD. This is between me and you. Answer the question or I'll carry you to the lower atmosphere and drop your ass'  
'I tried to save everyone before, in the face of a deadly threat. You know what? I succeeded. Fifty odd refugees are living in safety in Olney right now. It cost me my best friend and woman I loved'  
'I'm sick of hearing this crap Rogers. Seriously. Get over yourself. If people gave up as soon as someone dies, nobody would get anything done. I'm not downplaying what you two had. Not at all. But she would kick your ass knowing you became a performing monkey for Raiders with her as the justification'  
He glared at her, annoyed yet unable to refute the point. She didn't let up.  
'Look at you. You're a symbol. Doesn't matter if it was manufactured by Fury and Stark senior with the shield and all. I saw kids in Rivet City gathering around the radio nightly to hear about your exploits on GNR. Furthermore, how many situations went FUBAR because you weren't there to super soldier your way through? You explicably survive shit that would kill dozens. If I believed in destiny, I'd say yours is fighting for those that can't'  
Steve was speechless until they reached the gate. The freight car had been breached from the outside by an RPG launched by STRIKE Echo. Piles of bodies lay inside.  
'Okay we might have ankle biters to watch every step' he warned the team.  
Sam prepped one of her guns, coiling the opposite wing around her for cover. The two led the way, Rogers prodding the eviscerated bodies before stepping over them. A Ranger on their left flank called them over as they fanned out in the settlement.  
'Falcon, Watts' the man called, 'Got a container that matches Coulson's description here'  
They joined the waiting man at the collapsed shack. Thick patches of blood lay around the rusted white gas tank. Even with their masks, Steve had the four people keep their distance as he investigated.  
'Okay. This stuff is called 'rage'...Watts? Does a company called Terrigen ring a bell?'  
Samantha stepped forward, recognising the name.  
'I know it. I've been there'  
'You have?'  
'It's a chemical company in South Mason'  
Steve nodded. Corporal Watts produced a tablet computer equipped with a camera.  
'Captain? Take photos of whatever relevant info is on that cannister. I want to be in and out of here pronto'  
'Sure thing'  
As the group progressed, Rogers overheard an exchange between Sam and Jessica.  
'South Mason? That's where you came down after the abduction?'  
'Yeah. Still haven't heard a peep of the flying squad that took Doctor Rumlow'  
Rogers tapped Wilson on the shoulder to get her attention.  
'Sorry, wasn't eavesdropping. Did you say Rumlow? James Rumlow?'  
'I think that was his first name. Some big shot egghead that Stark knew'  
'I know him. He's from 101 like me. Did you say he was taken?'  
'Yup. Some crew had a working helicopter, dropped into the Jefferson Memorial and snatched him about a month ago'  
Their conversation was cut short by a report of contact by the Ranger team.  
'Movement and noise up ahead. Orange freight car. Form up'  
The train car was sealed closed, but echoed with the sounds of screams from within. The team made a firing line away from Rogers as he gripped the handle on the door. Red laser dots flickered around the rusted metal in anticipation. The mechanism groaned when Steve forced the sliding door open. He ducked, hearing the rapid snap of silenced weapons unloading. The Rangers were rapid but disciplined, firing single shots into the waiting infected. The six men, women, and children were dead before they hit the metal tracks.  
'Cease fire. Tangos down' Watts commanded.  
Samantha climbed into the gruesome container, emerging with a small handheld flamethrower. Rogers saw a masked Ranger speak to her quietly before recieving the weapon. Once clear, she torched the bodies on the ground and in the freight car.  
Every other hut, shack, and wagon was checked in similar fashion, though no more living infected were found. The Rangers were equally impressed and mortified by Samantha's handiwork near the entrance to the foundry. The pile of broken bodies was over six feet and twice that wide. Steve accepted the spare respirator mask from Corporal Watts when, still unknown to him, Claire ignited the ready made funeral pyre. Columns of black smoke towered skyward in the still air of mid-day. Just prior to entering the foundry, a snow like fall of ash began to rain down on the team.  
Watts and Delta cleared the rooms of the foundry floor by floor, tasking Wilson and Rogers with the caves below. The descent was slow, with the metal gantries choked with bodies all the way to the great chamber that held the Evergreen Mills Bazaar. They could tell which ones had been fighting as they retreated. Rock walls were peppered with bullet scrapes and ricochets. Seeing more and more dead infected at choke points, Steve felt a ghost of hope arise.  
The bazaar was a motley collection of open fronted stalls following no cohesive plan in the cave room. Some had collapsed in the fighting and slaughter. The hum of generators that powered the spotlights was the only sound bouncing off the walls. Before one of the last shacks, Steve found a long knife in a mess of gore and blood. He recognised it as one of Sasha's. The other was embedded in the infected corpse of Rexford, propped against an armorer's store.  
'I think you're better with the hammer and shield Cap' Samantha commented when he picked up the blades.  
'These belonged to a friend. It's a small comfort to know she made it this far'  
The face of Sasha as he last saw her flicked across his mind. The twisted, bloodied crazed rage that sent her willingly cast from the roof of the building was pushed aside as he grounded himself.  
'Well there's nothing alive down here. Wanna call the team down and burn it Steve?'  
'No, I have a better idea for this tomb'  
He rooted around the gun vendor's establishment, quickly finding a barrel of black powder. Samantha kept a watchful eye as he carried it back to the thinnest point in the tunnel to the foundry basement. A wedge of wood was driven into the container and wrapped in cloth at one end.  
'Come in Delta, this is Falcon. Over'  
'We are recieving, go ahead' replied Watts.  
'We're sealing off the caves. Explosives could level the whole building'  
'Copy that. We'll but out and see you topside'  
*  
It took until the team almost reached the gate in the canyon for the wood to burn down to the fifty kilograms of gunpowder. The detonation shook the dust at their feet in a rippling shockwave. All of them turned to see the tall red building lurch violently the one side before collapsing in a light brown cloud. The fall disrupted the black smog from the burning bodies outside, mixing with the darker pillar rising through the clear sky. As they watched, Rogers noticed the first ranger to take off their mask to his right.  
'Claire?'  
'Surprise... didn't want to pass up a cushy place to live with slightly less chance of a gruesome death than Evergreen. Where are you going next Steve?'  
'Back to SWORD I guess. I have a feeling they've missed me'


	14. Rivet City - 11th August 2278

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodes is contracted by Stark Sr for an unusual mission.

Howard had wanted to bring Maria down to the ship city for years. It forever sat in his mind as a dream beyond his reach. The roads between Olney in the north and DC were perilous enough. Then there was the city itself to traverse. His recent breakthrough, tested by SWORD elements,made it a reality at last. His son's friend, James Rhodes, flew a mission off the Division's books in the technical marvel that was the QuadJet. The aircraft flew with Stark senior and an engineering team from the ship city to somewhere the pilot was familiar with.  
On the approach to Bannister, the aircraft's sophisticated target acquisition system told Rhodes that there were no forms of life within the underground installation. What it did have was a functioning computer mainframe and network. The QuadJet's invisible passenger had his moment as they hovered over the broken administration building.  
'I am linking up with the local network now Mr Rhodes' JARVIS announced.  
Hearing the machine voice, Howard stepped into the cockpit.  
'Find the vehicle storage hall JARVIS. Give us a heads up'  
'Certainly sir'  
The AI used an augmented reality projector to show the subterranean layout of the base on the aircraft's windshield as they passed over. The largest room in the complex caught Stark Sr's attention.  
'That's it. It has to be. Pitch us one eighty and hold position James'  
'Gotcha'  
The rear ramp opened, allowing natural light to flood the machine strapped down in the hold. The three engineers released themselves from the flight seats once the aircraft was still and level, settings out turning the device on. Stark joined them, eschewing the safety harnesses dangling from the ceiling. The tie of his grey suit flapped over his shoulder as he stood holding the ramp's hydraulics.  
'Just there, by the rough grass patch!' he called over the screaming engines and wind.  
The team brought the machine back, turning various switches and dials. The end closest to the cockpit lit up with power from arc reactor. Glass tubes leading to the front of the turbo laser gradually filled with the same light, a potent hum coming with it. Stark stood at the main control panel of the machine, aiming the device at the ground on an LCD display. He input commands for a four square metre hole through the earth.  
The whole aircraft vibrated when the weapon fired. A white beam tore into the ground, turning the earth around it onto glass. The ten centimeter wide pillar of light shifted on the laser emitters pneumatic arms, carving Stark's intended shape into the earth. When enough of the ground had been cut, the two solid feet of rock fell through to the warehouse concealed below. The turbo laser continued its course until a perfect square in the earth remained. A smile crept across Howard's face when he saw the outline of various military vehicles catching the light.  
Rhodes spent the best part of the next three hours stood on the roof of the parked QuadJet, SCAR-H rifle in hand and scanning the 360 degree perimeter. He heard sounds of various power tools in the hangar below, but couldn't get close enough to see without leaving his vantage point. A small winch bolted to the aircraft underside gave them access down to the vacated Talon Company base.  
He gazed at the shell of the building that concealed the entrance. Steve's return from exile was gratefully received by all of those at SWORD headquarters. James entered the facility for the first time after flying Rogers and the STRIKE team home. A collection of vehicles had cleared in the middle of the scrapyard, revealing the hidden hangar doors. When the landing pad closed over them, it seemed like the whole organisation had turned out to greet them. Rhodes opted to hang back, letting Steve entreat with Fury alone. He didn't hear their interaction but assumed it went well by the handshake that the director offered first.  
His radio buzzed on his belt, pulling him back to the present.  
'Colonel Rhodes, we're just about ready here. Pull up the winch and we can get topside'  
He did as instructed, seeing the four high tension straps streak across the ground at the end of the winch cable. A red tape marker on the cable told him when to stop.  
'Right. Time for the hard part' he said as he stepped into the cockpit.  
The aircraft had a remote operated camera facing the winch on the underside. When he took off, Rhodes banked up, rolling the QuadJet nimbly over the hole in the ground. He kept an eye on the winch cable hanging loosely.  
'Final check Howard. Are you ready for the lift?'  
'We are good to go Colonel'  
James applied the lightest increase in power to the fans in the wings, watching the cable pull tight. The straps began to stretch next. He felt the aircraft take the weight of the payload. Only when he felt that the whole load was off the ground did something occur to him.  
'This is something else Strange put in my head. I'll never get used to this'  
The vehicle that Stark and his team had refurbished emerged from the hangar. For a moment Rhodes imagined himself to be part of some elaborate heist like the old world movies he had watched back in Rivet with Tony. The Humvee that held Howard and the team was a large, blocky, four wheeled armored car. Stark Sr had found blueprints of the vehicle with JARVIS's help before the mission, identifying it as the easiest to convert to fusion core power from it's native V8 engine.  
'That will do from here Rhodes. Feel free to give us overwatch on the drive to Rivet City' Stark instructed.  
Once on flat ground, it was simple enough for the engineers to release the cords from the vehicle and the slack winch cable. James used the QuadJet's profound low speed ability to keep a keen eye on the vehicle as it crossed open countryside. He only had to utilise the weapons on the aircraft once.  
As the armored Humvee rolled through Alexandria, it caught the attention of a checkpoint held by bandits. The improvised barricade was set up to impede travellers and brahmin caravans en route to Rivet. The four armed men didn't expect a bulletproof military vehicle with a flying escort. Rhodey only had to rake the tarmac around the highwaymen with twin twenty milimetre cannon fire. It was enough to send them scurrying into nearby ruins. James was about to ask if Howard needed fire support to clear the barricade when the vehicle built up speed and crashed through it. Stark Sr heard Rhodes audibly laugh through the radio as twisted chunks of metal and masonry skated across the road.  
'Enjoying the show James?'  
'Absolutely. Still feel better up here though'  
The Humvee crossed the Arlington Bridge near the Citadel, continuing to the ship without further interruption. The arrival of the functioning vehicle at Shore City caused a greater stir than the QuadJet had months before. It seemed as if Howard had anticipated a crowd. He stood atop the parked vehicle as city guards and citizens approached.   
'As you may have seen, the appearance of functioning aircraft has shortened the distance between civilisations in the Capitol. I bring you now the next step.  
Before you is a proof of concept. Armored transportation is no longer reserved for elements such as the Rangers and SWORD.  
I modified this Army Humvee to run on your average rechargable fusion cores. A single one could cover several hundred miles. Within a few weeks I can mass produce similar systems for any vehicle in well enough condition'  
High above, on the deck of the ship, Rhodes stood at the edge watching the presentation with Tony by his side.  
'What's the matter? Think your old man is upstaging you?'  
'Hmm. A little. I feel like I'll never shake the arms trading thing'  
'It's hard to do that when it's still going ahead'  
'But not at the same degree. I only supply those that protect us. People still look at me as the Lord of War'  
Rhodes put a hand on his friend's shoulder.  
'There are plenty who know the real you, the person you've become. The more time your father spends here instead of couped up in his lab, he'll see it too'  
Tony smiled and looked to his feet. He watched his father get back in the Humvee alone as the engineers crossed the bridge. The vehicle reversed, turned, and headed west along the riverside promenade towards the Jefferson Memorial. Stark Jr tapped a few buttons on his watch, swiftly finding the frequency for the radio in the car. Rhodes was called over to the island by Fury.  
'Going so soon Pop? Thought you'd say hi'  
'I will be back in the city tonight son. I'm going to pick up your mother'  
His father's uncharacteristic soft tone caught Tony off guard.  
'You're going to Olney? Let me give you an escort'  
'This thing can withstand anything the dregs of the Wasteland can throw at it son, but I appreciate the offer'  
The son wandered along the length of the flight deck, enjoying the longest talk with his father he'd had in months.  
'No questioning that. Where did you find it anyway?'  
'Fort Bannister'  
'No shit! Talon haven't crawled back into their old burrow then?'  
'Place was deserted. I'm sure your little additions to the QuadJet would quickly change their minds'  
'Did Rhodey need the dual Vulcans?'  
'Once to scatter some chancers in Alexandria. Their pea shooters wouldn't leave a dent on this anyway'  
His father's confidence gave Tony a slight unease.  
'Look, I'm not questioning the resilience of the beast, but it has an emergency transponder. JARVIS will keep an ear out, and I can be there in minutes if you are in a pinch'  
'Thank you son. I'll keep it in mind'  
The gratitude tipped the son over the precipice of emotion. He choked, raising a wrist to his mouth. In the pause, his father ended the communication. At the edge of the broken aft section of the ship, Stark stood with his hands by his sides. The sunglasses were placed in his suit jacket so he could clear his eyes with a handkerchief. Habit made him clear his throat before addressing JARVIS through the watch.  
'You caught that right J?'  
'Indeed sir. If you are in the bow at the time of activation, we can be suited up and airborne within three minutes'  
*  
A smile crept across Howard's face when he entreated with Marshall Withers at the gate to Olney. The brash woman had ordered a line of weapons to be trained on the vehicle when he approached the city over the open fields. He had to step out with his hands visible, as ordered by Greta over a loudspeaker.  
'Howard? What the hell are you doing in that?' she called once she saw him.  
'Sorry, would have called ahead but I guess I just lost track'  
He waited, wiping down a layer of dust from the hood of the vehicle and leaning on it, as the Marshall descended and came out of the gate.  
'I've sent a watchman to fetch Maria. When did you get that beauty working?' she queried.  
'Oh? This morning. Took a few hours of tinkering. It's a little more complex than the bike I fixed a few months ago'  
Her eyes widened.  
'That was you as well? The one Captain Rogers rode up here'  
'It was'  
'Well have you got a chain for it? Don't think it will get through the gate'  
'It won't be necessary Greta. I'm here to take Maria down to Rivet'  
'Hey hey, a getaway in the city. Can't beat it. Which way did you take up here?'  
'Followed I-270, diverted around Bethesda though. My son's ordinance may still lie in their stockpiles'  
As Maria Stark stepped through the gate with a trailing suitcase, Withers wished them a safe journey.  
'Come on Harold, you have to tell me. You know I'm bad at surprises' she said as the vehicle set off down the cracked asphalt southward.  
'Oh fine then. I'm taking you to Rivet City'  
The finely dressed woman clapped and shook in the passenger seat with delight, bringing a smug smile to her husband's face.  
'Is Tony there? I've missed him so much'  
'He is. He's been very busy too'  
Maria noticed the edge of pride in her husband's voice.  
'What's this? Howard Stark approving of his son?'  
'I know. I barely know myself. He is atoning for things he did before'  
'Just like you did. I remember your early days. You couldn't get enough of the money that guns brought in'  
'Well I didn't want him going the same way. I didn't have a figure like you in my life to put my skills to better use'  
She scoffed, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.  
'How do you know? You said that woman he's with...Pepper? She sounds nice'  
'I don't know. Maybe it was her. I've got a reservation in a restaurant for the four of us tonight. It's about time we met this chick'  
Maria sat back and smiled until her cheeks ached. The ashen plains and hills opened up ahead of them. After an hour of shadowing the half collapsed raised highway, Stark passed the right hand junction to Canterbury. He noticed his wife looking past him at the town on the plateau, eyes following hers.  
'Its a nice town. Canterbury Common. We can swing by there on the return if you-'  
'Howard' she said abruptly.  
'Hmm?'  
'Howard!' louder this time.  
Her hand on his shoulder pulled his attention in front. One hundred yards ahead, three burned car wrecks sat abreast of the road. Crash barriers either side hemmed them in. Howard slowed the Humvee to a crawl.  
'Those weren't there on the way up…' he murmured.  
A sudden bang swept through the vehicle as it lurched to one side. Howard gripped the wheel and slammed his foot down. Power from the core surged through the V8, the burst tyre doing little to stop their advance.  
'Hold on!' he yelled as the cars got closer.  
Another burst heralded the puncture of the second passenger side wheel. Stark struggled to keep the vehicle under control as it bucked and flailed, bouncing off the guard rail. The air from both shredded wheels had gone, turning the Humvee side on to the cars just before impact. Howard leant across to clutch his wife as they crashed. The toughened glass cracked and buckled near her against the twisted wrecks, but didn't shatter.  
'Maria! Are you okay? Hang on'  
He fumbled desperately over the large radio set between them, opening the cover to activate the red SOS beacon.  
'The woman groaned and leaned over.  
'I'm okay. I think. No...I think my arm's broken'  
The red light flashing on the radio console gave Howard momentary relief. He removed his jacket and tied it around his wife's arm to immobilise it, then looked around to find who had attacked them. The small, black clad figure emerged slowly from the hills to the east. At first glance he assumed the assailant was Talon Company. They had never worked alone, as far as he remembered, nor concealed their allegiance. The stranger wore a close fitting mask and goggles, deep brown hair falling level to her chin. From fifty yards she peppered the vehicle with a burst from the obsidian M16 in her hands. Harold ducked, hearing the rounds hammering against the reinforced armor plating and glass. The integrity held until the woman's magazine ran empty.  
'Howard who is that?' Maria sobbed.  
'I don't know'  
His hands felt around the door lock, pulling it into place without taking fearful eyes off of the encroaching soldier. The woman paused before reloading, seemingly deciding against it. Her weapon was slung over her back. Closer now, Howard watched her remove the glove on her left hand, revealing a glimmer in the late afternoon sun.  
'Come on Tony. Come on' Howard begged quietly.  
The attacker gazed right at him from the other side of the toughened glass.  
'What do you want?' he screamed into the emotionless dark goggles.  
She looked slowly down at the handle of the vehicle with childlike interest. Stark saw her small frame tense up a split second before the door was ripped free in a single motion. Howard jolted back in his seat, hands raised to cover his wife.  
'Come on now...you don't have to do this. Whoever sent you. They're paying you? I can double it. Just leave her alone' he demanded.  
Stark slowly turned to anger at the attacker's hesitation.  
'What are you waiting for? Huh?' he railed at the unflinching masked woman.  
A flash of a fist struck him, causing Maria to scream. Howard's belt was ripped when he was pulled from the vehicle. Blood streamed from his broken nose, stars dancing across his vision. He was placed with his back against the rear driver side wheel. When his head nodded, she gripped his hair to keep eyes on her.  
'Howard!' the woman called from inside. She tried to climb over the radio console, failing thanks to her injured arm.  
Stark Sr gazed at the woman, taking in the plethora of harness straps across her armor plated chest. Still holding his head up, she slowly removed her goggles. His breath caught. The mask came off next, clattering on the floor in the silence of the highway.  
'You?' he gasped.  
The name ilicited a response from her otherwise neutral expression. Her silver fist tightened, striking him repeatedly. Maria wailed as his lifeless body was placed back in the car beside her. The woman walked away slowly, her face recovered. The rifle returned to her hands. The metal tube under the barrel was loaded casually with a 40mm grenade.  
*  
The air above the soldier in black was filled with the sounds of multiple jet engines. She ducked into a disheveled gas station, peering through broken glass with tense hands gripping her weapon. The silver Iron Man suit appeared first, white contrails streaming behind it as he approached the black plume rising from the burning vehicle. The armored man slammed down, the vibrations in the earth being felt by the soldier. CO2 foam burst forth from Stark's hands, showering the Humvee until the flames and acrid smoke died out. Second to arrive was Samantha, stowing her wings as Tony fell to his knees. She tried to tend to him, but he was inconsolable. When the helmet was removed and cast aside, the soldier felt a tinge in the back of her mind. She shook her head, banishing the unwelcome feeling. The third and loudest arrival came, descending from low cloud. The QuadJet touching down sent up a storm of dust from the dry plains around the missions area of operation. It gave her the cover to leave. The office park two miles north was her exfil location. She stood still and silent in the empty car park for three hours until darkness fell, and the Vertibird arrived for extraction.


End file.
